The Sith Orb: Part 3: Wrath of the Sith
by Lola Jeery
Summary: Luke Skywalker and Tahiri Veila travel to the isolated world of Latru for information about Darth Hatus. Ben Skywalker learns that Nysilla Zabeth has returned and strives to rekindle their relationship. But a mysterious new girl quickly catches his attention. Ahsoka Tano fears that Ben's experiences will drive him to the dark side. And the Sith prepare for a devastating attack.
1. Forward and Summary of Parts 1 and 2

Thank you for reading _Star Wars: The Sith Orb: Part 3: Wrath of the Sith_! As great as Part 2 was, I believe Part 3 will be even better!

Before we continue this journey, there are a few things we need to get out of the way.

First of all, I do not own the _Star Wars_ universe or anything in it (with the exception of my original characters, locations, and events.) All events in my story are non-canon, and should not be treated as part of the _Star Wars_ universe. A large amount of credit goes to George Lucas for creating _Star Wars._ Also, special thanks to the people at Lucasfilm who have expanded the universe to create many characters and locations used in this story. Specifically, I would like to thank the writers who have made the _Star Wars_ novels such compelling reads, and inspiring me to write my own stories!

Secondly, all of my stories are original works by me. While I have taken inspiration from other works of fiction, I alone came up with the ideas. As seems to be happening a lot lately, official _Star Wars_ media contains events very similar to events in my stories. This is purely coincidental, at least on my part. I came up with these ideas before the official works were published. **Please do not use any elements of my stories without my permission!**

Third, this story is rated T for Teen. While Part 1 was relatively mild, Part 2 delved into darker, more adult themes. Part 3 will contain graphic violence, mild sexuality, descriptive torture and death, depressing and frightening situations, and even parallels to real-life tragedies. It is my intention to make readers more aware of these events by connecting with them emotionally. Still, if the subjects are too depressing for you to continue reading, I'm very sorry that you feel that way. But, I promise, the story will have a happy ending. You just need to brave it out.

This story contains references to my previous stories, so if you haven't read them, I recommend that you do, even though it's not required. You should at least have read _Part 1: The Hunt for the Orb_ , _Part 2: Exterminators of Peace_ , and _Part 2.5: The Lost Tribe_. For those of you who don't feel like reading the previous parts, or have read them and don't remember most of what happens, here is a summary that contains all of the main plot points you need to know.

And now, without further ado...

 _A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..._

* * *

 **Summary of Part 1: The Hunt for the Orb**

Over 850 years prior to the birth of the New Jedi Order, Yoda, then a Jedi Knight, went to Ruusan to explore the site of the battle in which the Sith were destroyed by their own thought bomb. When Yoda found the cave where the bomb had been detonated, he was surprised to find a glowing red orb. He could sense a massive amount of Dark Force energy radiating from it, and he decided to bring it back to the Jedi Temple for study. There, he discovered that it was a Sith Orb, an ancient weapon that gave its wielder ultimate power, containing the Force essences of the hundreds of Jedi and Sith that had been killed by the thought bomb.

After pitting Yoda against his former Master, N'Kata Del Gormo, the orb was shown to the Jedi Council to decide its fate. While Yoda argued that it was dangerous and should have been destroyed, most of the Council did not agree. In the end, a compromise was reached. It would be hidden in a secret location known only to two Jedi at a time. If it was ever needed, the Jedi could retrieve the orb and use it. Unfortunately, the orb's location was lost when both secret-keepers died during the Jedi Purge.

On the thirty-fifth anniversary of the New Jedi Order, led by Grand Master Luke Skywalker, Don Dain was inaugurated as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Alliance. The ceremony was interrupted, however, by three dark side assassins who defeated the Jedi present and caused a galaxy-wide panic. Commander Mek Dain, the chancellor's son, argued that the Jedi may have staged the attack as a cover to take over the Alliance. Don, who had always mistrusted the Jedi, decided to watch them for the slightest hint of treachery. Meanwhile, the Jedi were still being blamed for the recent takeover by Sith Lord Darth Caedus, formerly Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, and feared that if they did not catch the assassins, they would completely fall out of favor with the Alliance.

On a deep-space survey mission, Admiral Mo'Ari, a loyal ally of the Jedi, discovered a man in the wreckage of a Separatist cruiser on the Dead Planet. The man was old, comatose, blind, and legless, and he wore a tattered Jedi uniform. He soon became a medical mystery and was sent to the Jedi Temple to be examined by Jedi Master Cilghal, who was equally dumbfounded by his condition. Master Ahsoka Tano, a survivor of the old Jedi Order, identified him as Demood Elppirc, a depressed Jedi Master who had been arrested for organizing a prison break during the Clone Wars. He had been presumed dead after a failed Separatist attempt to free him.

The Jedi temporarily revived Elppirc, only to find that he had gone insane. Amidst his mad ramblings, they learned that he was a secret-keeper and deciphered his riddle to discover the Sith Orb's location on Mustafar. While Ahsoka led a Jedi strike team to recover the orb, Luke met with one of the Sith assassins, who told him their identities. They were the survivors of a project by Emperor Palpatine to clone his Force-sensitive servants. Sinestro, their leader, was a clone of Count Dooku; Volatis was of Mara Jade Skywalker, Luke's recently deceased wife; and Masculous was a mutated clone of Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father. Sinestro went on to reveal that they had been trained by Darth Caedus and were bent on finishing his work. He also warned Luke against trusting Elppirc or finding the orb.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka and her team, including Jedi Knights Zekk, Tesar Sebatyne, Lowbacca, and Tahiri Veila, went to the Island of Serpents on Mustafar and climbed into a volcano to find the orb. However, the orb was missing, and an Imperial flag lay in its place. At that moment, the volcano began to erupt, and the Jedi had to outrun the lava. During the escape, Zekk was severely burned trying to protect the team. The mission's failure affected Tahiri greatly. She had seen her lover, Anakin Solo, die in battle, been shaped into a monstrous Yuuzhan Vong, and briefly served as Caedus' apprentice. As a result, she felt like she did not belong anywhere. Only through the support of her closest friends did she find consolation.

After consulting the Imperial head of state, Jagged Fel, with whom Jaina Solo was having a secret affair, Luke learned that the Star Destroyer transporting the orb had crashed into the ocean on Kamino. He met with Chancellor Dain to requisition underwater exploration equipment, although he neglected to say exactly what they were looking for. Dain eventually agreed to the request, with his only condition being that his Jedi bodyguard, Master Sol Fadré, be sent on the mission. After the meeting, Dain was even more convinced that the Jedi were hiding something from him.

Jaina and Sol went to Kamino to explore the underwater wreckage of the Star Destroyer, but the orb was nowhere to be found. Instead, they found evidence that the ship had been raided by an unknown organization. Unexpectedly, the entire ship tilted on the ocean floor, causing the room to collapse, damaging Jaina's scuba helmet and leaving her life in the hands of Sol. Using her Force abilities, she managed to free herself from the wreck and was brought safely back aboard the submarines.

Returning to the temple, Jaina and Sol investigated the clue they had found on Kamino. They determined that the orb had been salvaged by a group of scavengers under the employ of Jabba the Hutt. Luke was determined to go to Jabba's palace to find the orb, but the rest of the Jedi Council felt that they should give up the hunt. Angrily, Luke stormed out and went to Tatooine with his son, Ben. It became clear that Luke's mind was unsettled by recent events and the stress of being Grand Master, even though he refused to admit it.

Beneath Jabba's palace, Luke and Ben discovered that the orb was in the possession of the mysterious B'Omarr monks, who worshipped it as a deity. They reacted violently to Luke's request to take it and locked the Skywalkers away to have their brains removed. The Jedi escaped, however, and recovered the orb from the vault. They soon found themselves surrounded by monks and tried to fight their way out. But then, the orb killed all of the monks with Force energy, apparently deciding to help the Jedi.

Back at the temple, Luke used the orb to cure Elppirc of his madness and completely heal him. His success backfired, however, when Elppirc revealed himself to have been working with the Sith assassins, who infiltrated the temple to extract Elppirc and the orb, with the help of Sol Fadré. In the ensuing battle, Sol had a change of heart and tried to destroy the orb, but it defended itself by killing him. And then, using the orb, the Sith blew open the doors to the temple and escaped.

As the Jedi reflected on this unfortunate turn of events, Luke admitted that they were right about him allowing stress to cloud his judgment. He vowed that the Jedi would not rest until the assassins, Elppirc, and the orb were hunted down and destroyed.

* * *

 **Summary of Part 2: Exterminators of Peace**

In the seven months since they had obtained the Sith Orb, Demood Elppirc and the Sith assassins gathered powerful allies, including former Imperial Moff Hyke, and established a hidden base on Korriban, from which they silently prepared to take over the galaxy. Meanwhile, Elppirc, having renamed himself Darth Hatus, had been using the orb to rejuvenate himself and regrow his legs. He and Darth Sinestro soon came at odds over their end goal. Sinestro wanted to impose order on the galaxy so that no one had to suffer the way he had. Hatus, however, wanted to make the entire galaxy understand his own suffering, and he was prepared to torture and kill innocent people to attain that goal.

Back on Coruscant, the Jedi had found their first solid lead to the Sith – a holotransmission between the late Sol Fadré and Sinestro. The recording revealed that Sol had tracked the Sith down during an investigation into Jacen Solo, at the behest of Mara Jade Skywalker. Sinestro described how he and his siblings had been recruiting allies since the Yuuzhan Vong War in an attempt to revive the Sith Order. Among them was the Dark Jedi Lumiya, who trained the assassins in the dark side of the Force and recruited Jacen to their cause. The recording ended with Sinestro inviting Sol to the Sith base on Dromund Kaas.

Reacting to this information, the Jedi Council decided to launch an attack against the Sith on Dromund Kaas. However, they could not obtain Chancellor Don Dain's approval without revealing their secrets to him. Luke figured out a way around this by enlisting the aid of Admiral Mo'Ari, who agreed to commit three Star Destroyers to the attack. When Ben Skywalker learned that he would not be allowed on the attack force, he angrily accused his father of being overprotective. Tired of arguing with his son, Luke reluctantly agreed to let him join the battle.

When the Jedi fleet arrived at Dromund Kaas, they sent in their fighter squadrons to where they believed the Sith base to be. However, they were hailed from that location by a man claiming to be the governor of a refugee colony. Believing that they had come to the wrong place, Luke ordered the fighters to return to the cruisers. Suddenly, several fighters were struck by lightning and exploded, including Ben's. No longer able to sense him through the Force, Luke was dismayed to realize that his son was dead.

No one knew that Ben had actually survived and crash-landed on Dromund Kaas. With his lightsaber destroyed, and no way to contact the Jedi, Ben set out towards the refugee colony. When he arrived, however, he discovered that it actually _was_ a Sith base, inhabited by members of the ancient Sith species, revived using the Sith Orb. He also learned that over a thousand innocent beings from throughout the Outer Rim were being held prisoner and forced to build the Sith's weapons and armor. Mistaken as an escaped slave, Ben was captured and tortured. Knowing he had few options, he decided to play along until he could find an opportunity to escape. He quickly befriended a girl named Nysilla Zabeth, who had been taken from her home along with her mother, Mari. The next day, Darth Volatis arrived to motivate the slaves to work harder. To do this, she made an example of the slaves who performed the worst, including Mari. Ben was forced to stand by and watch the slaves' execution.

Upon returning to Coruscant, the Jedi Council could not decide what to do next. Ahsoka Tano met with Chancellor Dain to try and explain why he had not been informed of the attack beforehand. After she left, Commander Mek Dain convinced his father that the Jedi were getting out of hand and had to be taken down. But, to do that, they needed evidence to convince the Senate to act. So, Don enlisted cyborg bounty hunter AO-327 to spy on the Jedi.

A few weeks later, while investigating several disappearances in the Outer Rim, the Jedi noticed that most of them happened near Dromund Kaas, leading them to believe that they had been deceived by the Sith. They could not prove their theory, however, so Don Dain would not authorize another attack on the planet. After meditating together, the Jedi sensed that the Sith would soon attack Zygerria and decided to set a trap for them there. With Admiral Mo'Ari under probation, Jaina convinced Jagged Fel to send Imperial troops to back them up – in exchange for a chance to continue their secret affair. Unbeknownst to everyone, AO-327 was listening in on both the meeting and Jaina's transmission, and he decided to follow the Jedi to Zygerria to prove that they were betraying the Alliance.

On Dromund Kaas, Ben continued to work for the Sith, witnessing the brutal treatment of the other slaves. When he saw a woman about to be raped, he wanted to save her, but he was powerless. One day, to his horror, he learned that there was a warehouse filled with the rotting corpses of hundreds of slaves, and he was forced to feed those bodies into the furnaces that power the base. One of the bodies was a young girl who resembled his cousin, Allana Solo, so much so that he feared it could have been her. Afterwards, Ben broke down and confessed his hopelessness to Nysilla, who comforted him. They confessed their feelings for each other and kissed for the first time.

After the Jedi rendezvoused with Jagged Fel's fleet on their way to Zygerria, he and Jaina met for a secret rendezvous of their own, during which Jaina explained to Jag everything that had happened. She did not realize that AO-327 was listening. Arriving at Zygerria, the Jedi and Imperial forces assembled outside the capital city, waiting for the Sith to arrive. But they did not realize that Darth Hatus was already inside with the Zygerrian king, threatening to take his people as slaves. Using the Sith Orb, he created a fiery tornado that destroyed the royal palace, as well as most of the city. Stunned by the destruction, the Jedi and stormtroopers were ambushed by Sith warriors and force to retreat.

In the aftermath of the events on Zygerria, the Jedi and the Empire were held responsible for both the destruction of the city and the kidnapping of the survivors since there was no evidence of the Sith. Don Dain announced his plans to have the Jedi barred from the Alliance, shortly before AO-327 showed him all of the evidence he had compiled against the Jedi. Now that he knew all of the Jedi's secrets, Don confronted Luke and threatened to attack the Jedi Temple unless they turned Tahiri Veila over to Alliance custody for the crimes she committed during her brief period as Darth Caedus' apprentice. Luke refused, and returned to the temple to prepare the Jedi for war.

After two months of being enslaved on Dromund Kaas, Ben was forced to blow his cover to save Nysilla from the Sith. She was furious to learn that he had been lying about his identity and accused him of letting all of the other slaves die, including her mother. With the entire Sith base now hunting him, Ben was forced into hiding to formulate a plan to contact the Jedi for help. He set the corpse warehouse on fire as a distraction while he snuck into the command center to send a message. Meanwhile, Hatus, having learned of Ben's survival, feared that the boy would ruin his entire plan, so he decided to send an attack force to the Jedi Temple to prevent the boy's message from being received.

Back on Coruscant, Luke revealed everything Dain told him, including Jaina's affair (much to her humiliation), to the Jedi Council. Determined not to give in to Dain, Luke found evidence that the chancellor used to be a Separatist admiral and used it to blackmail him. Dain revealed how he was disgraced in the eyes of General Grievous because he was tricked by Anakin Skywalker and narrowly escaped punishment. He also told the story of how he had been unwillingly roped into a Separatist plot to kidnap Demood Elppirc from prison, and a plot by Darth Maul and AO-327 to recover him. Still, Dain was afraid of what would happen if the truth came out, so he ordered the troops sent to attack the temple to stand down. Mek was furious at the change of plans, especially since he was prepared to fire a nuclear missile at the temple, destroying the troublesome Jedi once and for all.

Suddenly, a ship flew over the temple and dropped dozens of highly-skilled, lightsaber-wielding assassin droids. Working together, the Jedi and Alliance troops were able to defend the temple from the intruders. Luke, meanwhile, came face-to-face with Emperor Palpatine, who had been resurrected using the Sith Orb. Palpatine offered to help Luke defeat Darth Hatus and the New Sith, but the Jedi Master knew better than to trust the Emperor, and a lightsaber duel ensued. Luke seemed to be outmatched until Ahsoka arrived and helped him kill Palpatine. After the battle, Don Dain realized that the Sith really had returned, and agreed that he and the Jedi needed to work together to defeat this threat. At that moment, they received Ben's message summoning them to Dromund Kaas. Luke was overjoyed to learn that his son was alive, and Dain authorized an immediate attack on the Sith base.

Back on Dromund Kaas, Darth Volatis, growing more and more furious at Ben's sabotage and elusiveness, drew him out of hiding by threatening to kill Nysilla. Using a lightsaber stolen from a Sith Knight, Ben engaged Volatis in a fierce duel, using his anger and hatred to defeat her. Then, in a fit of rage, he used an electrowhip to torture her to death. As he killed her, the Alliance forces arrived and overran the base, killing the Sith and freeing the slaves. And then, Ben was treated to an emotional reunion with his family. With the Sith exposed as the true culprits of the Outer Rim disappearances and the incident on Zygerria, the Jedi Order and Imperial Remnant were vindicated. However, Jaina and Jagged Fel decided to end their relationship to avoid any future scandals.

At the Sith base on Korriban, Moff Hyke was contacted by Mek Dain, who was angry that the Sith attack on the Jedi Temple had ruined his own plans for the destruction of the Jedi Order. He revealed that he had allied with the Sith so that he could usurp his father's place. Meanwhile, Hatus used the Sith Orb to resurrect Volatis, holding her responsible for the loss of Dromund Kaas and warning her not to fail him again. After she had left, a Sith laborer delivered Hatus' new lightsaber to him. While practicing with it, Hatus injured himself and discovered that he could infuse the orb's power directly into his bloodstream through direct contact. The process also caused a psychedelic high that Hatus quickly became addicted to.

Having returned to Coruscant with the freed slaves, Ben was hailed as a hero by everyone – except Nysilla. Even though her anger towards him had abated, she still could not cope with the fact that he had lied to her, and decided to return to her home, leaving Ben heartbroken. At the next Jedi Council meeting, Luke requested that Ben be promoted to Jedi Knight as a reward for his heroism. Not everyone shared this view, however, fearing that Ben's experiences on Dromund Kaas might drive him to the dark side. But, Luke convinced them that he would seek psychological help for his son, so they accepted the appointment. At a special ceremony, Ben Skywalker was knighted by his father.

* * *

 **Summary of Part 2.5: The Lost Tribe**

One day, six months after the Battle of Dromund Kaas, Darth Hatus woke to the sound of a voice in his head. At first, he thought it was the voice of one of the tormented souls trapped within the Sith Orb, whose power he had been infusing into his bloodstream. He soon realized that this voice belonged to something else. He was then called to the command center of the Korriban Sith base in response to an unknown object dropping out of hyperspace. Upon seeing a hologram of the object, his apprentices thought it was a Yuuzhan Vong ship. But, then, it spoke to Hatus through the Force.

The vessel introduced itself as an ancient Sith Meditation Sphere called "Ship." It had sensed Hatus' growing power and came to serve him. It also mentioned that it had previously been serving the Lost Tribe, an entire civilization descended from ancient Sith who had crash-landed on the planet Kesh, in Wild Space, five thousand years prior. Fearing that this "Lost Tribe" could be a threat to his plans, Hatus ordered Ship to bring him to them.

Upon arriving on Kesh, Hatus sought an audience with the Circle of Lords, led by Grand Lord Darish Vol. The Lost Tribe were surprised to see him, having only recently learned that the Sith had been destroyed by the Jedi. Hatus explained that he had built a new Sith Order, planned to retake control of the galaxy, and wanted to add the Lost Tribe to his exponentially-growing army. At first, Vol refused, believing the Hatus was not a true Sith, but he changed his mind when Hatus revealed the Sith Orb.

The alliance had been made, but there was debate over who should be the singular ruler. Hatus suggested that he and Vol battle for the title. Not wanting to be perceived as weak or cowardly, Vol accepted the challenge. In the city square, with all Sith bearing witness, they engaged in a lightsaber duel that ended with Hatus disarming Vol and both duelists firing Force lightning at each other. When it became clear that Hatus' attack was overpowering Vol's, the Grand Lord was forced to yield. Hatus was declared the victor and ruler of the New Sith Alliance.

However, Vol could not accept being beaten by someone whom he still believed was not worthy of the Sith title, so he tried to kill Hatus by using the Force to throw cobblestones at the back of his head. Hatus, being warned of the attack through the Force, used the Sith Orb's power to reduce the stones to sand and then reform them into a metal spike, which he plunged through Vol's heart, killing him.

Afterwards, Hatus told his apprentices that he would stay on Kesh to negotiate the terms of the alliance, and that, after he had left, Volatis would remain to oversee the Lost Tribe. Volatis, furious over this arrangement, accused Hatus of still blaming her for the loss of Dromund Kaas. Hatus confirmed this, saying that she would have to do whatever he asked in order to regain his favor. Sinestro and Masculous were sent back to Korriban to continue the war against the Jedi. Before they left, however, Sinestro noted that the Sith Orb had shrunk to half of its original volume.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Gederon was a little-known planet in the Outer Rim. Of the fifteen planets orbiting Gedera, a red dwarf star, only Gederon fell within the star's habitable zone. The planet was tidally-locked, meaning its rotation was synchronized with its revolution around the sun. Most such planets were inhospitable, with one side of the planet, always facing the sun, being a hot and dry desert, and the opposite side of the planet being a dark and frozen tundra. The only thing both sides of such a planet had in common were hellish storms caused by the severe difference in atmospheric pressure.

However, Gederon had somehow beat the odds. Because of its axial tilt and elliptical orbit around a relatively cool star, the planet experienced seasons that made parts of the lit half more habitable. Also, because of the large number of moons orbiting the planet, certain regions experienced lengthy, if not permanent, solar eclipses. The planet's unique climate and mineral-rich geology allowed liquid oceans and humid tropical rainforests to persist in places.

The native Gederonians had evolved near the boundary between the light and dark sides of the planet, called the "twilight zone" because the sun was perpetually low in the multicolored sky. The only concept of time was the slowly-changing elevation of the sun caused by the axial tilt. This variation was much more noticeable as latitude increased, and night actually occurred beyond the polar circles. Of course, the day-night cycle lasted the entire year, so the change was extremely slow.

The natives themselves were humanoid, although they had evolved to adapt to the rainforests they called home. Most of them were shorter than the average human, their skin was colored various shades of green rather than pink, and they all had thick, black hair. They were adept at climbing wide-trunked trees and swinging from vines, as well as hunting and foraging.

Although they were considered primitive, the Gederonians had developed a sophisticated culture and society. They had settled deep within the rainforests, where the wide tree trunks and thick canopy offered ample protection from the heavy winds and tropical storms. They lived in sturdy wood-and-stone houses built both in the trees and on the ground. They were also well-aware of their place in the larger galaxy, and were used to aliens arriving and, sometimes, settling on their planet. The Gederonians did not mind, however, as long as they were left alone.

That is why, when some of the natives noticed several large ships appear in the sky, they did not give them a second thought. They promptly returned to their daily routines, oblivious to who was aboard those ships.

From a distance, the newly-arrived ships resembled double-edged saw blades protruding from a disk. As one got closer, it became evident that each ship was more than a kilometer long, was propelled by four engine nacelles, and had a T-shaped command tower running down the center of the disk-shaped part of the hull. The ships' most important features, however, were the powerful turbolaser cannons situated on top of and underneath each "saw tooth." After all, these were Sith battlecruisers, whose sole purpose was to destroy.

On the bridge of the lead ship, Captain Jinya Gorkund barked orders to her subordinates. Like the vast majority of the beings on the ship, she belonged to the ancient Sith species, sometimes known as the Red Sith, revived using the Sith Orb. She was a tall, muscular woman with pink skin, red eyes, long red hair, and short tendrils hanging from her cheeks.

The Red Sith were known for their violent tendencies, and Captain Gorkund was no exception. On two separate occasions, she had "accidentally" killed an officer on the bridge for questioning her orders. The first officer had been thrown headlong into a durasteel support beam, and the second had had his throat slit by Gorkund's sharp claws. Rumor had it that she had ascended to the rank of captain by assassinating her predecessor. No one dared to investigate these rumors, however, for fear of becoming her latest "accident."

She marched up to the sensor station, which was being manned by a young Keshiri male. Like most members of his species, the officer had lavender skin and purple hair, and was considered handsome by human standards. The Keshiri were native to the planet Kesh, where the Lost Tribe of the Sith had been stranded. When the New Sith had allied with the Lost Tribe, the Keshiri had also been integrated into their army and placed where their talents would best serve the Sith.

Gorkund stopped behind the sensor officer and snapped, "Report."

The startled Keshiri jumped in his seat and responded, "Captain, there are two Alliance Star Destroyers guarding the station, and another one being serviced in dry dock. Scans show 18,840 life signs aboard the station, including 14,495 in the medical center."

Gorkund scoffed, "Too easy. What do you think, Lord Sinestro?"

Darth Sinestro turned away from the forward viewport to address the sensor officer. "Have they detected us?" he asked.

The officer nodded his head. "They scanned us, and it looks like the Star Destroyers are powering up their weapons systems."

"They've no doubt called for reinforcements, which gives us little time. Before we can attack the station, we need to get through those ships. We'll divide the fleet into two so that we can flank them from either side. Send in the fighters to take out any resistance, and then the bombers to finish off the destroyers. Then, once we're in range, we'll destroy the station."

"Yes, My Lord," Gorkund responded stiffly. She then continued to bark out orders.

As the battlecruisers moved slowly into position, Sinestro studied their target through the viewport. For many years, the Galactic Alliance had been using a space station in the Gedera system as a waypoint for their Outer Rim operations. The station served many purposes, including the servicing of ships, the storage and distribution of supplies, and advanced medical care. Currently, it was being used as a hospital for Alliance troops who had been wounded during the war. In addition, the Gedera system was near the crossroads of several major hyperspace lanes. For that reason, the Alliance had used it as a staging point for many of their attacks on the Sith. If the Sith took control of Gederon, they could turn the tide of the war in their favor.

A shrill proximity alarm began to sound, and the Keshiri sensor officer announced, "They're launching fighters!"

Sinestro looked towards the Star Destroyers and saw three squadrons of Alliance X-Wings, Y-Wings, and TIE Fighters slowly growing larger as they approached. While they were formidable, they were too few to stand a chance against the might of the Sith armada. A moment later, fighters and bombers were launching from the hanger bays of the Sith battlecruisers.

The Sith fighters had been designed to resemble large birds of prey. They were painted black with dark red trim, and their forward cockpits tapered to a point, like a beak. Their wide wings were hinged in the middle, giving them the ability to fold down under themselves for added maneuverability, and could also pivot back towards the fighter's stern for added speed. Where the "eyes" of each bird should have been were a pair of repeating blasters. The bombers were similar to the fighters, except a little bit larger and with wings that were configured to look like a bird that was diving towards its prey. On the underside of each bomber were two racks that extended from bow to stern, each carrying a payload of large bombs.

From the bridge of the lead cruiser, Sinestro observed the ensuing dogfight. As he had expected, the Alliance fighters held their own well, but were quickly overpowered by the sheer number of Sith ships. The Alliance pilots had skill and rigorous training, but the Sith had the Force. All Red Sith were Force-sensitive to some degree; those who could not use Force powers had lightning-quick reflexes that gave them a critical edge in space combat. Within moments, the Sith fighters had cleared a path to the Star Destroyers.

The famed Alliance warships unleashed a stream of turbolaser fire in the direction of the approaching ships. However, the fighters were fast and agile enough to evade the lasers, giving them a chance to swoop in and destroy the gun emplacements. The Star Destroyers launched more fighters to clear the encroaching Sith, but Sinestro was unconcerned. At the present rate, they would all be destroyed within minutes, and then the Sith bombers would move in for the explosive finale.

Another proximity alarm began to sound, different from the one that had alerted them to the Alliance starfighters. This one indicated ships dropping out of hyperspace. Had the Alliance reinforcements arrived already? It was much sooner than Sinestro had expected. He did not panic yet, however; it was possible that the arriving ships were Sith reinforcements sent by Darth Hatus, or perhaps visitors who were simply about to stumble upon a battle.

The Keshiri sensor officer confirmed that neither was the case. "Six Alliance Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace right behind us!"

* * *

Admiral Mo'Ari breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like we arrived just in time." That was an inaccurate statement. "Just in time" would have been before the Sith fighters had begun their attack on the Star Destroyers guarding Gederon Station. The point of having his fleet stationed nearby was to ensure a quick response in the event of an attack on a high-profile target such as Gederon. On the bright side, it had arrived before any major losses had been sustained. And, better yet, the Star Destroyers had dropped out of hyperspace behind the Sith battlecruisers and close enough to damage their shields.

From the bridge of his flagship, the _Reliant_ , Mo'Ari gave the order to attack. In unison, the six Star Destroyers aimed their heavy turbolasers at the engines of the battlecruisers and opened fire. With the enemy ships facing away from them, there were not enough guns firing back. And at such close range, their shields would be drained quickly. Then, their engines would be vulnerable, and the battlecruisers would be dead in space.

As Mo'Ari planned this all out in his mind, he muttered, "The Sith will not have Gederon today."

* * *

"How could they have gotten here so quickly?" asked Gorkund.

"They must have already been nearby," mused Sinestro.

"Well, whatever the case, we didn't plan for this! We expected to destroy the station's defenses _before_ reinforcements arrived! I'm ordering a retreat."

"No retreat." Sinestro did not raise his voice or show any sign of nervousness.

Gorkund gaped at him. "What? Don't you see the situation we're in? We have two enemies in front of us and six behind! Our shields can't take that kind of barrage!"

"Turn the ships so that their sides are facing the Star Destroyers. Then we can attack them with the full force of our turbolasers."

"What good will that do? Their shields are at full power; ours aren't!"

"Trust me, Captain. I have a plan."

The Sith bared her teeth at him, seething. "Would you care to let me in on this plan?"

Sinestro smiled and answered, "All in due time, Captain." He then strode over to the communications officer and instructed him to send out a message.

Gorkund did not hear everything that Sinestro told the officer. However, she was certain she had heard the word "leviathan" being used. As realization dawned on Gorkund's face, she relayed Sinestro's orders to the helmsman.

* * *

Through the _Reliant_ bridge viewport, Mo'Ari watched as the battlecruisers slowly rotated, forming a single-file line with the Star Destroyers to their port side. It was a classic sword-and-shield maneuver, one which Mo'Ari was not wholly unprepared for. "Angle the deflector shields, full forward. And keep up the barrage. Their shields will fail before ours do."

As the communications officer relayed his orders to the other ships, Mo'Ari's senior lieutenant, Commander Sonn Grey, approached. Grey was, physically, the opposite of Mo'Ari. Whereas the admiral was tall, thin, middle-aged, blond-haired, and dressed in a white uniform, Grey was of slightly below-average height, above-average weight, dark-skinned, early thirties, and dressed in a dark gray uniform. Mentally, however, they were very much the same – intelligent, composed, and steadfast in their loyalty to the Galactic Alliance.

Grey leaned in towards the admiral and said, "Sir, our ships guarding the station are still under attack by Sith fighters. If their turbolasers are destroyed, the bombers will finish them off, and the station, as well. The battlecruisers are trying to cut us off from providing aid."

Although he did not show it, Mo'Ari mentally praised the commander for noticing that. In the chaos of battle, it was difficult for one to remain aware of everything that was happening. With the battlecruisers' maneuver presenting an immediate threat to the fleet, Mo'Ari himself nearly forgot about the Sith starfighters. He asked, "How do you recommend we deal with that, Commander?"

Grey quickly answered, "Our fighters should be able to evade the turbolaser fire from the battlecruisers. We should send them behind the blockade to take out the enemy fighters and bombers."

Mo'Ari nodded and gestured to the ship's intercom. "Make it so."

Grey flashed a quick smile of appreciation and walked over to the console. He pressed the intercom button and made a shipwide announcement. "This is Commander Grey. All pilots, to your fighters. Repeat: All pilots, to your fighters."

* * *

It did not take long for the _Reliant_ to launch its fighters. As soon as the fleet jumped into hyperspace to come to Gederon's aid, the crews of each ship had been alerted of the battle that was to come. By the time they had arrived, every pilot was dressed in their Alliance-issue flight suits and their fighters had been fueled and prepped for takeoff.

Jaina Solo settled into the seat of her X-Wing fighter. As a Jedi Knight, she was skilled in combat with a lightsaber, but she was never as comfortable on the battlefield as she was in the cockpit. As the daughter of Han Solo and granddaughter of Anakin Skywalker – both legendary pilots – one might say she was born to fly. From the moment she had flown her first starfighter, it was clear that that was absolutely true.

Now, she was the commander of Rogue Squadron, frequently leading brave pilots into battle against the Sith. During the Battle of Dromund Kaas, Jaina had learned that Sith pilots were not to be underestimated. Even though it had been a resounding victory, many good pilots had died in that battle, and those losses were still felt even a year later. Ever since then, Jaina had been training her pilots to be faster and smarter than the Sith. After each battle, she studied the _Reliant's_ sensor feed to familiarize herself with Sith tactics and determine the best way to counter them. Her hard work had been rewarded with a steady string of Alliance victories.

Situated behind the cockpit, Jaina's astromech droid warbled an observation, which was translated and displayed on a readout: OH, GOODIE. YET ANOTHER DAY FIGHTING SITH. AT WHAT POINT DOES IT START TO GET BORING?

Jaina sighed and answered, "It never gets boring, Rowdy." Rowdy was a green-and-gold R9-series droid who had been assigned to Jaina at the beginning of the New Sith War. She had tinkered with him, giving him a humor protocol to help alleviate some of the stress of battle. Unfortunately, the protocol had made him more sarcastic than humorous. His jokes reminded her of the ones her twin brother Jacen had told as a child.

Maybe that was why she had not uninstalled the protocol – because the droid reminded her of who Jacen had once been.

When the launch order came, Jaina fired up her X-Wing's repulsors, levitating the ship off the hanger deck. Through the cockpit viewport, she noticed the other fighters doing the same. Then, one by one, each ship accelerated quickly out of the hanger and into space. That is when Jaina caught her first look at the battle.

The Sith battlecruisers were lined up with their sides facing the Star Destroyers, and all ships were firing at each other. The space between the two fleets was occupied by crossfire. Speaking into her helmet comm, Jaina warned her squadron, "Watch that crossfire. We're going to be flying over those cruisers, so don't give those turbolasers a chance to hit you."

Several double-clicks sounded over her headset, indicating affirmatives from each member of her squadron. All ships angled upwards away from the Star Destroyers. Directly in front of her, Jaina saw the approaching deflector shield bubble, visible only when enemy turbolasers were being dissipated by the energy field. She silently counted down the seconds before her X-Wing crossed the barrier and was rendered vulnerable. Five… four… three… two… one….

Instantly, the X-Wing was shaken by flak from nearby turbolaser strikes, and Jaina found herself fighting the ship for control. Having experienced this before, she remained cool and focused, not allowing fear get the better of her. "Evasive maneuvers!" she ordered. As she had predicted, some of the Sith turbolaser batteries began to elevate as they tracked the approaching fighters. The ships juked and swerved to avoid being hit, trying to make their moves as random as possible. Some were unsuccessful, and those ships vanished in plumes of fire, their pilots' screams cut off. Jaina heard each and every one through her helmet, yet she barely acknowledged them; there would be time for that after the battle was won.

Within minutes, the Alliance starfighters had passed over the Sith battlecruisers and were descending towards the dogfight near the station. Fighters of both affiliations swarmed around the two Star Destroyers like bees surrounding a hive. The cruisers' turbolasers fired at the Sith bombers to keep them at bay. The Sith fighters fired at the turbolasers to clear a path for the bombers. The Alliance fighters fired at the Sith fighters to protect the turbolasers. They also fired at the bombers to protect the cruisers. The Sith fighters fired at the Alliance fighters to protect the bombers. Everyone fired at each other, either to survive or destroy. It was a chaotic cycle of violence.

Jaina kept her eyes on her scope, waiting for an enemy target to enter her X-Wing's firing range. _Blip!_ A Sith fighter was highlighted on the display, and she maneuvered until it was directly in her crosshairs. She pushed the button on the control yoke and watched as blaster bolts streamed from her four wing-mounted laser cannons to obliterate the enemy. Instead of celebrating her kill, she quickly chose her next target and angled her fighter to destroy it, too. As she entered the dogfight, she had to employ various tricks to evade blasterfire and find clean shots.

Red laserfire zipped past less than a meter above Jaina's cockpit canopy. Instinctively, she pushed the throttle, angling downward away from the stream of bolts. Still, they continued to flash around her, indicating that her attacker was behind her. She juked and jived to try to shake her opponent – as much as was possible amid a thick dogfight – yet the Sith fighter continued to follow. A few bolts clipped her upper starboard wing. The damage was not serious, but the stabilizer on that wing was knocked loose, nearly sending the fighter into an uncontrollable spiral.

Jaina knew that she had to get rid of this guy, or else she would not last much longer. She mentally ran through her catalogue of tricks, searching for the best one to use in this scenario. After quickly weighing her options, she made her decision. "Rowdy, get ready – we're doing Black Escape!" Rowdy emitted a series of beeps that were translated as expletives on the cockpit display. "Hey, shut up and do what I say! Unless you want to be scrap!"

SOMEHOW, I GET THE FEELING I'M SCRAP EITHER WAY. MIGHT AS WELL LOOK COOL DOING IT.

"That's the spirit," muttered Jaina, flipping switches and pushing buttons. "Get ready… NOW!" She pushed one last button, killing the X-Wing's engines, and then pulled the throttle. The thrusters spun the ship around as it continued to drift in a straight line. Then, at precisely the right moment, she pushed the throttle briefly in the opposite direction. Her timing was perfect. The X-Wing was now pointed directly at the fighter that had been chasing her. Before the pilot could react to the surprising maneuver, the Sith ship vanished in a plume of flame. Jaina then reignited the engines, launching the X-Wing back into the battle.

* * *

As the minutes ticked by, Darth Sinestro watched as, one by one, the Sith fighters and bombers were destroyed. Not only that, but the battlecruisers' shields had been drained to 20% of their full power. According to a readout, the Star Destroyers were at nearly twice that level. Behind him, Captain Gorkund scowled. "That's it! I'm ordering a retreat, whether you like it or not!"

Sinestro turned around and stressed, "There is no need for a retreat; help is on the way."

"And how much longer will we have to wait for it? Our ships are being destroyed!"

"Order the fighters and bombers to regroup. They'll stand a better chance of survival that way."

"They are still outnumbered three to one!" Gorkund snarled impatiently. "We're just delaying the inevitable! When this is over, I plan to explain to Lord Hatus how you sacrificed all of our ships!"

"When this is over," Sinestro replied coolly, "no one will have to explain anything to him."

* * *

Admiral Mo'Ari watched the sensor readouts as the Sith fighters and bombers regrouped for an assault on the two Star Destroyers protecting Gederon Station. He was surprised by this tactic; based on their numbers, it would have made more sense for the Sith to retreat. The fact that they were pressing their attack suggested that they had a secret advantage. Most likely, they were expecting reinforcements to arrive soon.

However, it was possible that they were counting on the Alliance forces to think exactly that and retreat before said nonexistent reinforcements arrived, surrendering this strategically vital world. This may have sounded like paranoia, but the Sith had reportedly used this tactic before. In any case, Mo'Ari was not about to lose Gederon. If the Sith had reinforcements coming, he would just have to make sure that everyone was ready for them. He opened a fleetwide comm channel and relayed his next orders.

"This is Admiral Mo'Ari. The Sith fighters and bombers are regrouping. All ships, form up and finish them off. But at the first sign of enemy reinforcements, be prepared to retreat." A chorus of affirmative double-clicks followed his commands, and the blue triangles representing Alliance fighters on the sensor screen began to coalesce and move in sync. At first, they were all moving away from the red triangles, representing Sith fighters. Then, they began to turn around to fly towards them. Soon, the Sith fighters would be destroyed in a hail of blasterfire, and then the battlecruisers' shields would be completely drained and they, too, would be destroyed. The Battle of Gederon was all but won.

A shrill proximity alarm rang through the _Reliant's_ bridge. The sensor officer reported, "Admiral, a ship just dropped out of hyperspace 7.6 kilometers to port."

Mo'Ari approached the officer and asked, "Friendly or not?"

"Unknown, sir. I've never seen this class of ship before. I've never even seen anything like it before."

"Put it up on the holomap."

"Yes, sir." As the officer typed on his console, Mo'Ari strode to the large, circular holomap console in the command salon at the rear of the bridge and stood next to Commander Grey. A second later, a giant hologram of the newly arrived ship materialized in the air in front of them. The sight made their blood run cold.

* * *

 **If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

At first glance, it looked like a dark gray sea monster from an alien planet. At the rear end, its long, cylindrical body tapered to a point from which two tall fins jutted above and below. At the front, it ended in a circular tooth-filled mouth large enough to swallow a Star Destroyer. The front half was flanked by two oversized manta ray wings with six large, domed protuberances on the tops and bottoms. A dozen short, squid-like tentacles protruded from the tapered end just behind two massive side-facing eyes.

Upon closer inspection, it was evident that this creature was actually a giant ship. Its transponder signal identified it as the _Leviathan_ – a fitting name, given its design. It looked nothing like any ship used by the Galactic Alliance. In fact, it looked nothing like any ship known to be used by anyone. The only logical conclusion was that this new ship was affiliated with the Sith.

Admiral Mo'Ari had no idea what to make of the "teeth," "tentacles," or "eyes," but the hundred-or-so long-range cannons mounted around the "mouth" and the thousands of heavy turbolaser batteries needed no interpretation. He knew he could not attack that ship with the forces at his disposal. If the Star Destroyers had been at full strength, perhaps they would stand a chance against the _Leviathan_ on its own. But with their shields depleted and the Sith battlecruisers still in play…

There was no other course of action. "Recall the fighters."

Commander Grey tore his gaze away from the monstrous ship and stared at the admiral. "But, Gederon—"

"—is the least of my concerns right now," interrupted Mo'Ari. "We have no idea what that ship's capable of, and I'd rather not sacrifice any of our forces to find out." He strode out onto the bridge proper, where the crew was watching him expectantly. Raising his voice to be heard, he ordered, "Recall the fighters and prepare the fleet for the jump to hyperspace. Signal Gederon Station to evacuate immediately. Hopefully, we can keep the Sith fleet occupied long enough for them to escape. If we're lucky, we'll even take out some of those ships before we leave. Everyone will have two hours to rendezvous at point zeta-eleven, starting now."

* * *

Jaina Solo could not believe what she had heard over the comm. _Retreat? But we're so close to winning the battle! Plus, retreating would mean abandoning Gederon and the supply station to the Sith! We can't do that!_ Unfortunately, Jaina had no choice. The order had come from Admiral Mo'Ari, and she trusted him enough to follow his orders, even though she disagreed with them.

"Rogue Squadron, break off and return to the _Reliant_." This order was met with protests from a few of the most hotheaded pilots. She silenced them by adding, "That is an order from the admiral. Now, disengage." That time, there were no protests, only a dejected chorus of "copy that." Jaina, along with the rest of her pilots, turned her ship around to face the _Reliant_ …

…and gasped as the new Sith ship came into view. She, like the officers on the bridge, initially mistook the ship for a giant sea creature. Once her initial shock had dissipated, she commanded Rowdy to begin scanning the ship. She wanted to know as much as possible about the thing she was planning to blow up.

* * *

As the crew bustled to carry out his orders, Mo'Ari returned to the holoprojector and typed in a frequency. A few seconds later, the scaled-down hologram of Captain Emanon of the Star Destroyer _Triumphant_ appeared on top of the projector. The young woman straightened as she addressed her superior officer. "Admiral, we are preparing to receive our fighters."

"Tell them to dock aboard the other cruisers. I need you to leave now."

Emanon's composure slipped and she asked uncertainly, "Now, sir? May I ask why?"

Soberly, Mo'Ari explained, "I cannot in good conscience retreat until I've made certain that everyone else is safely away. The _Reliant_ is going to be the last ship to leave, and there's a good chance that we may not survive long enough to do so. I need you to return to Alliance space and warn the High Command about this ship. Don't bother with gathering telemetry; a detailed holo will suffice. Also, have another fleet meet us at the rendezvous point to provide aid, if necessary. Understood?"

At first, Emanon looked like she wanted to protest, and Mo'Ari did not blame her. He had followed her career closely for the past several years. Not yet thirty years old, she had been promoted to captain only a few months prior. For that reason, she was innocent and naïve, never having had to sacrifice other people's lives. And Mo'Ari had wished that she would never have to. Her compassion, dedication, and idealism were things the navy sorely needed.

But she was also adept at following orders. So, after a second's hesitation, Emanon saluted and replied, "Yes, sir." Mo'Ari was about to end the transmission when she added, "And, if I may speak frankly, it's been an honor serving with you, Admiral."

For a second, Mo'Ari was too touched to speak. Then, he responded, "It's been an honor serving with you, too, Captain." As the transmission ended and the hologram fizzled out, a look of pride brightened Emanon's face.

Mo'Ari then went to the viewport to gaze at Gederon. He was well aware that, by ordering a retreat, he had effectively handed the planet over to the Sith. That included the advantage given by the planet's strategic position, the supply station, and the planet's natural resources. The worst part was, he had also handed over the native Gederonians, who had played no part in the war and simply wanted to be left alone. The Sith would strip mine their planet, destroy their rainforest homes, and enslave the people.

Mo'Ari had seen for himself the slave camps on Dromund Kaas and a few other worlds, and it pained him to think of the Gederonians being subjugated to the same torture. How could he possibly live with that guilt? How could he sleep at night without thinking of the lives he was sacrificing? No doubt, he would second-guess his decision for the rest of his life, wondering if there had been another way.

He turned his head to look at the _Triumphant_ , which was turning away from the battle and maneuvering towards the nearest hyperspace lane. As it did so, it blocked his sight of the _Leviathan_. Once the ship had vanished into hyperspace, he let out a sigh of relief. At least he had saved—

The instant after it had disappeared, the Star Destroyer reappeared a few kilometers away with its nose pointed at a downward angle. "WHAT?!" Mo'Ari did not realize how loud he had just yelled until after the fact. His exclamation had drawn the attention of most of the bridge crew, who could now see the _Triumphant_ drifting away… right towards the _Leviathan_!

Mo'Ari silently prayed to all of his homeworld's gods for Captain Emanon to regain control of her ship and escape before it was…

Too late. The thousands of weapons on the Sith monstrosity opened fire, peppering the _Triumphant_ with cannonfire. Bright spots marked explosions on the ship's hull where it was hit by turbolaser bolts. Mo'Ari watched helplessly as the barrage ripped the ship apart in less than a minute. Finally, with one giant fiery burst, the _Triumphant_ , its crew, and its captain were nothing more than space dust.

For a while, everyone was too stunned to speak, Mo'Ari most of all. He thought that he was saving Emanon and her crew, but he had actually sent them all to their deaths. He did not even think to question what had happened. Commander Grey broke the silence by answering that question. "Those domes on the wings must be gravity well projectors."

 _Of course_ , thought Mo'Ari. The gravitational pull of a large body, such as a planet, was strong enough to pull ships out of hyperspace. Gravity well projectors were devices capable of generating what was known as an interdiction field, which mimicked a planet's gravitational force. These devices were often used in space warfare to capture or immobilize enemy ships.

This presented a serious new problem for the Alliance fleet. As long as they were within range of the _Leviathan_ , they could not escape. They needed to put as much distance between them and that ship as possible. Their best chance of doing that would be if they immediately broke off their attack and turned away. But, if they did that, the battlecruisers would follow them and attack them from behind, where they were less likely to be fired back at. Or, the Sith would continue their attack on the station. At least there was a chance of survival, however slim.

"All cruisers, turn to mark three-five, engines at full. Get as far away from that ship as you can and then make your jump to hyperspace as soon as your fighters are on board. And keep firing on those battlecruisers, if you can. We're not giving up that easily."

* * *

Under normal circumstances, no one would have dared to cheer on the bridge of the ferocious Captain Jinya Gorkund. But, after witnessing the _Leviathan's_ awe-inspiring destruction of the Star Destroyer, the Sith could not help themselves. Fortunately, Gorkund was also in a celebratory mood, so she shared her crew's revelry. Darth Sinestro simply smiled contently, glad that their new capital ship performed as expected.

The _Leviathan_ had been constructed in secret by some of the best shipbuilders in the galaxy. It was the culmination of most of the technological advancements made in the past century, incorporating elements from some of the most powerful, most efficient, most dangerous vessels to have been built since the pre-Clone Wars era. The ship measured over six kilometers in length, had a four-kilometer wingspan, the cylindrical body was a kilometer in diameter at its widest, and each fin-like observation spire above and below the stern was less than a kilometer in height. Each wing was thick enough to house multiple large starfighter hangers lining both outward-facing edges and had three powerful gravity well projectors set within. The rear "tentacles" were actually engines that could flex to allow tighter steering and enhanced maneuverability unheard of in ships that large.

But those were not even the most fearsome characteristics. Sinestro looked forward to displaying the _Leviathan's_ most powerful weapon. As he observed the Star Destroyers turning away and making a run for it, he decided that that time was at hand. To the communications officer, he said, "Order the _Leviathan_ to launch fighters, as many as necessary to destroy those Alliance fighters. Also, tell them to align the starboard cannon with those fleeing Star Destroyers and fire when ready."

The officer nodded and relayed Sinestro's orders into the internship comm. Gorkund asked, with a hint of bitterness, "And what are we and the other battlecruisers supposed to do? Sit here and watch?"

"No," replied Sinestro. "We follow the Star Destroyers and continue firing at them, but keep out of range of the blast. Afterwards, we will move in to finish them off."

* * *

Jaina had been horrorstruck upon witnessing the _Leviathan's_ ruthless annihilation of the _Triumphant_. She was shaken out of her trance by a series of beeps from Rowdy, which were translated on a screen in the cockpit: NOW MAY NOT BE THE BEST TIME, BUT DO YOU STILL WANT THE RESULTS OF THAT SCAN? ALSO, YOU'RE DRIFTING OFF-COURSE.

In response to the droid's observation, Jaina corrected her X-Wing's course so that she was still flying towards the _Reliant_. In response to his question, she answered, "Not now, Rowdy. Save the results and I'll review them later. Hopefully, they'll help us figure out a way to blow that thing up." Truthfully, Jaina wondered if that was even possible. It had reduced an entire Star Destroyer to atoms in only a minute! Granted, that Star Destroyer had not been at full strength and been left adrift after a failed hyperspace jump, but it still made one wonder if something that big and powerful _could_ be destroyed.

Rowdy beeped some more. UH OH, WE'VE GOT UNEXPECTED COMPANY.

That was an understatement, Jaina quickly realized. Multiple red blips were appearing on her sensors every second. She looked out the side viewport of her cockpit canopy and saw dozens, maybe even hundreds, of Sith starfighters flying away from the _Leviathan_ and towards the procession of Alliance fighters. Into her helmet comlink, Jaina warned, "All ships, be advised. Multiple bogeys headed our way. Repeat: multiple enemy fighters coming in at point-six."

One of the younger Rogue Squadron pilots asked, "Do we take 'em out?"

Even though no one could see her, Jaina shook her head. "Negative. There are too many of them. Take evasive action, but do not alter course. And if you're hyperdrive-equipped, don't use them. Our only chance is if we get back to the cruisers, now! Give it everything you—" Her sentence was cut short as her ship was rocked by a nearby explosion. The Sith fighters had opened fire and destroyed a nearby TIE fighter. Panicked voices flooded the comms as pilots desperately tried – and in some cases, failed – to dodge the hail of blasterfire that was coming in from the side.

But Jaina was unable to pay attention to them. She was too busy trying to save her own skin. While the Force allowed her to react to incoming fire before it was upon her, she would have to rely mostly on skill to survive this firestorm. _Lasers incoming, swerve up! More lasers, swerve down! No, wait – more lasers coming in below, swerve up instead! That was too close!_ _What's that alarm? Oh, no. Engine 2 is failing! Speed dropping!_ "Rowdy, get me more power in Engine 2! Now!"

I CAN'T. A BLASTER BOLT HIT THE PRIMARY COOLANT LINE AND TWO TURBINE BLADES. SUPPLYING MORE POWER WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO EXPLODE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'D RATHER AVOID THAT.

Jaina scowled. "If we survive this, remind me to add a voice-activated on/off switch to your personality matrix!" She did not have a chance to read the droid's retort. With one of her four engines down, her speed was 10% below maximum. That may not seem like much, but any seasoned pilot knew that even a few kilometers per hour could be the difference between life and death. Jaina had known many pilots who would still be alive if they had been fast enough to dodge that blaster bolt or make that sharp turn.

"Watch out!" yelled a voice over the comm. "They're coming from behi—!" That last syllable turned into a scream just before the pilot's voice was replaced by static.

Jaina turned her head to look at the incoming Sith fighters. As they had approached the line of Alliance fighters, they had banked left and were curving around to pick off their enemies from behind. But, rather than flying single file, they were spread out with the outermost fighters swerving in and out so that they could fire at the leading fighters from an angle. Red laserfire flashed all around Jaina, making it impossible for her to dodge one bolt without getting hit by another. The panicked chatter over the comm was accentuated with periodic screams, dying down slightly after each one.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina saw something pink. Curiously, she looked out the right side of her cockpit canopy and saw the right "eye" of the _Leviathan_ begin to glow. The disk in the center, which resembled a pupil, moved slightly within the bulbous eye as arcs of pink energy jumped between the circumference of the pupil and that of the eye. Jaina had never seen anything like it before, although she was certain that it was nothing good.

"Rowdy," she commanded, "scan that ship again."

I ALREADY DID, REMEMBER? YOU TOLD ME TO SAVE IT UNTIL—

"I know what I – damn it!" Another Sith blaster bolt had just struck her fighter, causing her speed to drop further. Returning her attention to Rowdy, she said, "Something's happening with the ship, and I want to know what. Just tell me what's different from the last scan."

A moment later, the astromech droid let out a series of started chirps. THIS IS BAD. THIS IS VERY, VERY BAD.

"What?" asked Jaina. The tone of the droid's beeps alarmed her. "What's wrong?"

THAT'S NOT AN EYE; IT'S AN—

Before Jaina could read the rest of the message, her attention was drawn to a bright flash outside the cockpit. A large ring of crackling pink energy was flying away from the _Leviathan_ , growing in diameter as it did so. Jaina tracked the ring's trajectory… straight through the fleeing Star Destroyers! The ring passed through one of the massive battleships and half of another. Neither ship blew up, thankfully, but something strange happened to them. The first ship stopped dead as its lights and engines flickered out. The second one did not stop, but slowed down as one of the massive principal engines and two of the smaller secondary engines went dark, along with the lights on that side of the ship.

The pursuing Sith battlecruisers renewed their turbolaser barrage on the two affected ships. To Jaina's shock, the shields on the first Star Destroyer, the one that had taken the brunt of the attack, had failed, leaving the ship completely vulnerable. Just like the _Triumphant_ , it quickly succumbed to laserfire and exploded.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Reliant_ , Mo'Ari whirled from the viewport to his crew. "What was that?"

"Analyzing the attack now, sir," replied a sensor officer, his voice quivering. The entire crew was beginning to buckle under the stress of this battle, much to Mo'Ari's surprise. He had fought with them more times than he cared to count, watching them bravely face down Sith forces without skipping a beat. But now, with the _Triumphant_ and now the _Imperative_ destroyed by this monstrous new ship, fear had finally managed to creep into his crew.

After a moment, the sensor officer announced, "Admiral, it appears to have been some kind of ion attack that drained the power from the _Imperative_."

Grey looked at Mo'Ari incredulously. "I've never seen an ion cannon like that."

"Neither have I, Commander. I've read about them, but I had no idea they still existed." Rather than launch into a history lesson, Mo'Ari asked, "How many other ships were caught in the blast?"

The communications officer announced, "Sir, the _Relentless_ caught the edge of the blast. Power has been lost to a quarter of the ship, but their shields are still operational. However, they report that engines 3, 6, and 7 are down, and their speed has dropped to 50% sublight."

Sure enough, one look at the battle map indicated the _Relentless_ falling behind the rest of the fleet. At the rate it was going, it would not be able to escape the reach of the _Leviathan's_ gravity well projectors before the battlecruisers ripped it to shreds. Mo'Ari sighed mournfully as the realization came; the _Relentless_ was already lost. _Three Star Destroyers lost in a single battle. This has happened only a handful of times since the rise of the Empire. And now, I'm about to join the ranks of those unfortunate commanders._

He was shaken from his reverie by a cry: "The ion cannon is firing again!" There was another pink flash as a second ionization ring passed through another Star Destroyer, leaving it dead in space. _Four ships. Just two left._ Once the battlecruisers had finished off the two disabled ships, they would concentrate their attacks on the _Reliant_ and the _Cal Omas_ , both of which were running with shields below 10%. And they still were not out-of-range of the gravity well. And the remaining fighters were being massacred. There was no way the fleet would survive.

That is when Mo'Ari formulated a new plan. Into the fleetwide intercom, he said, "This is Admiral Mo'Ari. _Cal Omas_ , divert to negative-point-one. _Reliant_ will divert to point-one-five. We'll divide their fleet and increase our chances of survival. All fighters, land aboard the _Omas_. Once the fighters are aboard, the _Omas_ will make the first possible hyperspace jump, followed by the _Reliant_. As previously specified, both ships will rendezvous at point zeta-eleven in—" he consulted his chrono, "—0147 hours."

* * *

"My Lord, incoming transmission from the _Leviathan_ ," reported the Sith communications officer. "The two remaining Star Destroyers are splitting up and no longer in the scopes of the ion cannon. They need to turn the entire ship to target them. Which one should they choose?"

"Neither," responded Sinestro.

Captain Gorkund shook her head in disbelief. "You're letting them go?"

"Their shields are at critical levels. It would be a waste of power. We'll finish them off ourselves."

The Sith captain smiled evilly as she replied, "It would be my pleasure, Lord Sinestro."

To the communications officer, Sinestro ordered, "Tell the _Leviathan_ to aim its main cannon at the station and fire when ready."

* * *

Jaina strained to coax every last bit of speed out of her rapidly-deteriorating X-Wing. She was laser-focused on her goal, allowing the Force to flow through her, guide her through the hail of blasterfire to the safety of the _Cal Omas_. She could not see how many Alliance fighters remained, how many Sith fighters were in pursuit, or how much damage her ship had sustained. She had managed to avoid any critical hits, but even minor hits could cause serious damage over time. She needed to hurry.

She was now headed straight towards the open hanger bay of the Star Destroyer. A loud alarm signaled that the X-Wing's engines had completely failed, but Jaina was unconcerned. She had enough forward momentum to carry her to the hanger bay, so the engines were no longer necessary. The thrusters were still operational, so Jaina used them to make continuous course corrections to ensure that she would drift safely into the hanger bay.

Another alarm began to blare. The thrusters had also failed. _Now_ Jaina was panicking. She had no way to steer! "Rowdy! Can you get the thrusters back online?" No answer. "Rowdy?" She craned and twisted her neck around to look at the astromech socket behind the cockpit. To her shock, Rowdy was not there. "Rowdy!" Upon closer inspection, she saw that the droid _was_ in the socket – but that its head was not attached. Quickly, Jaina tore her gaze away from what was left of her only constant companion throughout the entire New Sith War.

Her only hope now was that the ship's current trajectory would carry it straight to her target – without intersecting the hundreds of blaster bolts that would be in the way. If, by some miracle, that hope was realized, it would be replaced by a new hope – that she would survive the inevitable crash landing. If that hope was also realized, she would then have one last hope – that the _Cal Omas_ would escape the battle.

 _That's a lot of hope,_ she thought ruefully. Based on probability, she had almost no chance of surviving the battle. _Force save me._

* * *

"Admiral! Our shields are—" there was no need for the officer to finish the sentence. The _Reliant_ began to shake violently from multiple impacts, sending the unprepared crew tumbling to the floor. Using the viewport ledge as a handhold, Mo'Ari pulled himself up and gazed out into space. From this vantage point, he could see the entire dorsal surface of the Star Destroyer. He could also see the damage being done to it. Explosions from Sith turbolaser fire burned through hull plating, exposing the ship's interior to the vacuum of space. While the airtight bulkheads protected the rest of the ship from explosive decompression, there was nothing that could be done for the rooms that had been hit, except to watch the bodies get sucked out into space.

Commander Grey tottered over to stand next to Mo'Ari and exclaimed, "We can't take much more damage! If we're going to jump, it has to be now!"

"No! Not until I'm certain that everyone else has escaped!"

A glance at the holomap confirmed that the _Cal Omas_ ' shields had also failed, and the Star Destroyer was also being bombarded by turbolaser fire. Only a dozen fighters were left, and they had nearly reached the hanger. Mo'Ari prayed that they could hold out for just ten more seconds.

* * *

Her X-Wing's power had failed, and the alarms that had signaled multiple systems failures had gone quiet. The only sound Jaina could hear was her own heavy breathing. For the first time ever, she had absolutely no control whatsoever. And it was the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced. This was not a threat that she could run away from, shoot down in a fighter, or slice through with a lightsaber. There were no choices she could make that would affect the outcome. Whether she lived or died was now entirely in the hands of the Force.

The Force! She could use the Force to pull herself into the _Cal Omas'_ hanger! _Why didn't I think of that sooner?_ Reaching out with her thoughts, she focused on the hanger, on its polished black floors and gray walls. _No, stupid. You can't just_ think _it; you have to_ feel _it with the Force._ She began to reach out with her feelings – and gasped as a stray turbolaser bolt sheared off the front nose of her fighter, sending it into a horizontal spin in the process. To make matters worse, a loud hissing sound, coupled with a gust of wind, indicated to Jaina that the cockpit was rapidly losing air.

Unable to move, unable even to breathe, and spinning out of control, Jaina again tried to calm her mind enough to open herself to the Force. Fighting the sickness and terror, she struggled to find the Star Destroyer hanger and keep a firm grasp on it. Eventually, she managed to use the Force to slow her fighter to a stop. Yet the dizziness did not subside. Her brain was being deprived of oxygen, her temperature was dropping, and the liquid in her body was ready to boil away. With all the strength she had left, she pulled herself towards the hanger. And she pulled again, and again, and again.

Her fighter – what was left of it – was oriented away from the _Cal Omas_ , so she could not see how close her target was. What she could see through her glazing-over eyes, however, was the _Leviathan_ pointed straight at the orbital station, firing another ion blast out of its "mouth." This blast, twice the size of the previous ones, completely engulfed the station and the ships surrounding it. All lost power, as evidenced by the lights going black, and were now at the mercy of the Sith. And so were Gederon and its inhabitants. The battle had been truly lost.

This powerful realization hit Jaina hard enough to break her concentration. Her Force-hold on the hanger was abruptly severed, and she slumped back in her seat. Meekly, she tried to re-establish the connection, to finish pulling herself in. But her efforts were futile. All she could do now was hope that she had done enough to propel her ship into the hanger. The X-Wing was still facing backwards, and Jaina was too weak to even sense the location of the Star Destroyer. There truly was nothing she could do but wait.

And then she saw it – the very thing she did _not_ want to see – the hull of the _Cal Omas_ floating past just above her head.

She had had one shot, and she had missed. And in that moment, Jaina Solo only had one thought: _I am about to die._

As the last of her senses began to fade, she did not feel afraid of the unknown, nor pain of death in space; she felt sadness. Sadness that her hopes and dreams would never come to pass. Sadness for her parents. Han and Leia Organa Solo were about to lose their only daughter, having already lost both of their sons. She thought of her little brother, Anakin, who had been killed when he was barely sixteen. And Jacen, her twin, fallen to the dark side and killed by her own hands. And Allana, her niece, whom she would never see become a Jedi. Her cousin Ben, no longer a boy but not yet a man, who had already endured too much suffering in his young life. And Uncle Luke, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, wise and compassionate, yet wracked with guilt and weighed down by the loss of his wife and the return of the Sith.

Lastly, and most surprising, she thought of Jagged Fel. To her, he was not just the Head of State of the Imperial Remnant. He had been her friend and companion, a constant source of comfort and support through the darkness of the past twenty years. They had even been intensely intimate, until recently. Yet, she had pushed him away because she had been afraid of how dangerous their relationship could be. She realized now that she loved him, more than anyone, and she would gladly face those dangers if it meant spending the rest of her life with him. But it did not matter now.

The X-Wing exploded, and Jaina Solo knew no more.

* * *

Over the chaos of the deteriorating ship, the _Reliant_ 's sensor officer yelled, "Sir! The _Cal Omas_ has just jumped into hyperspace!"

Mo'Ari wasted no time in ordering, "Light speed, NOW!" A second later, the stars outside the viewport elongated into streaks of light, and then coalesced into a tunnel of blue light. The _Reliant_ had escaped, although it was barely intact.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the _Cal Omas_. Shortly after it jumped, the wildly fluctuating forces of hyperspace ripped the severely damaged Star Destroyer to shreds. Those pieces, and the people, then became superheated and turned to plasma. No one would ever find out what fate had befallen the missing ship. All they would know was that, of the six Star Destroyers that had gone to Gederon's aid, only the _Reliant_ , with only half of its original crew, had survived the first major defeat of the New Sith War.

* * *

Captain Gorkund yelled a curse in her native Sith tongue. "They escaped! How could you let them escape?" Her crew fell nervously silent, unsure of what to say, if anything.

Fortunately, Sinestro was the one who answered her. "Calm down, Captain. This is still a victory. The survivors will return to the Alliance and tell the galaxy how we decimated their fleet. The important thing is, we now control Gederon, the orbital station, and both their resources. And don't forget; this system is a key strategic point from which we can begin to expand into other territories. The war has just turned in our favor."

* * *

Thousands of light-years away, in an apartment on Coruscant, Han Solo heard a loud thud from the living room. Hurrying to investigate, he found Leia shaking on the floor. He ran over to help his wife up to a sitting position and asked, "Honey, are you okay?"

At first Leia did not answer. She simply stared at him in shock. Han's first instinct told him to make some kind of quip about his aged appearance, but he resisted the urge when he looked deeper into her eyes and saw despair. He had known her long enough to be able to read her moods, and he had only seen her like this twice before.

Suddenly gripped by fear, Han asked firmly, "Leia, what's wrong?"

Between shaky breaths, she whispered a single word: "Jaina."

That single word only served to heighten his fear. "What is it? What happened to Jaina?" When Leia did not respond, he began to raise his voice in anger. "Tell me she's not… TELL ME OUR DAUGHTER'S NOT DEAD!"

That was the switch that opened the floodgates, allowing tears to stream from Leia's eyes. She buried her face in her husband's chest and sobbed. His worst fear confirmed, Han squeezed her tightly and immediately began to sob with her. Jaina was dead. All three of their children were dead.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I believe it represents the direction the story is headed in! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"The _Cal Omas_ never reached the rendezvous point." Reported Admiral Mo'Ari. "We know they escaped Gederon because the _Reliant_ did not leave until the other ship did, so something must have happened on their way. We sent out ships to several possible locations along their last known trajectory, but they've found nothing so far."

Luke Skywalker bowed his head sorrowfully. "I don't think they'll find anything." Throughout the Jedi Temple war room, everyone agreed with the Grand Master's sentiments. After the disastrous defeat at Gederon, Luke had called a war council, comprised of nearly every Jedi Master, Knight, and ally who had been on Coruscant at the time.

The admiral's hologram in the center of the room sadly nodded his head in agreement. "I don't want to make it official until we've explored every possibility, but I must admit that I have given up hope. All of our surviving fighters were aboard that ship. Now, I fear they're all dead."

"How did Jaina die?" No one dared scold Han Solo for asking a personal question in the middle of a war council. Everyone accepted that the Solos and Skywalkers were grieving for the death of their last surviving child during the Battle of Gederon, and felt that the family deserved some leeway. Besides, Jaina Solo had been a friend to many in the Jedi Order, and they were all curious about her fate.

In response to Han's question, Mo'Ari's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, she's not dead. Not yet, anyway."

A ripple of surprise and confusion overtook the room. In unison, Han and Leia's bowed heads snapped up to look at the admiral's hologram, and they both asked, "What?"

Mo'Ari explained, "Her fighter was crippled, and she was unable to land on the _Cal Omas_. Then, by sheer luck, her fighter drifted into the hanger bay of the _Reliant_. It's a good thing it was out of fuel, otherwise it would have blown us all up, too. When the emergency crews pulled her out of the wreckage, she was still alive, but severely dehydrated and hypoxic. They got her to the medbay just in time to prevent complete organ failure. However, she's in a coma, and the doctor is unsure if she will ever wake up."

Han shot to his feet. "When the hell were you planning on telling us this?"

Defensively, Mo'Ari replied, "Thousands of people died in that battle, Captain Solo. They all had families that need to be notified. And since our registries are in alphabetical order, Jaina was lower on our list. I'm sorry we left you hanging, but we were in the middle of an emergency."

"Now, you listen…"

Before Han could say any more, Leia pulled him back down onto the bench. It was her turn to speak. "We understand Admiral. We're just glad our daughter's alive." She tried to use her diplomatic voice, but her shock managed to permeate her voice. Besides, Luke could sense his sister's emotions. She was relieved that Jaina was still alive, but her fear of losing her to a coma dampened her spirits. Luke felt the same way. In his lifetime, he had known many friends who barely survived a battle only to die of their wounds later. Hopefully, Jaina would not be one of those cases.

With that issue resolved, Mo'Ari continued his debriefing. "We can also assume that Gederon Station and the three Star Destroyers protecting it were destroyed. On top of that, the _Reliant_ has been effectively crippled and half its crew lost to space. In all, that's one station with almost 20,000 people and enough supplies to sustain a small city for half a decade; eight-and-a-half Star Destroyers, each with 30,000 people; two hundred fighters; and the entire planet of Gederon." He paused as he allowed the numbers to sink in. "I'm sorry, Masters. I let you all down."

Luke shook his head. "You did the best you could with what little information you had. The fact that you managed to save half a ship in those circumstances is remarkable in and of itself."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker." With a touch of sorrow in his voice, Mo'Ari added, "Perhaps you could tell that to the military tribunal." When word of the losses at Gederon had reached the Alliance High Command, people had quickly begun to lay blame on each other. Rather than accept that the situation was unavoidable, they had decided that someone had to be responsible, either through oversight, incompetency, or treason. Being the highest-ranking officer present – and one of the few survivors – Mo'Ari had taken the brunt of the blame. A formal hearing was scheduled to determine whether he should be held responsible for the losses.

Luke found that idea abhorrent. Mo'Ari was one of the best officers in the Alliance Navy, as well as a loyal ally of the Jedi Order. If he was found guilty of anything, it would be a fatal blow to the entire Galactic Alliance. Unfortunately, there was nothing Luke could do about it. Even though the Jedi had assumed military roles at the onset of the war, they were still separate from the Alliance military.

Hoping to diffuse the tension, Jedi Master Corran Horn, attending via hologram, cleared his throat and asked, "Did you manage to collect any data on the Sith's new ship?"

Mo'Ari nodded curtly. "As a matter of fact, we did." He reached out with his hand and began to type on a console that did not appear in the hologram. A moment later, a second hologram sprang into existence, depicting the ship that had won the battle. Many in the room gasped upon seeing the revolving object that resembled some kind of sea monster. Next to it, a list of specifications hung in the air, including dimensions, approximate mass, hull plating materials, and any other information that the _Reliant_ 's scanners had picked up. None of it was useful in determining how to destroy the ship.

"The _Leviathan_ ," stated Mo'Ari. "That's what its transponder signal said. And there's no name more fitting, in my opinion. It has the standard bells and whistles you would find on any capital ship – turbolasers, cannons, tractor beams, hanger bays – but there's much more." He indicated the domes on both faces of the manta ray-like wings. "Gravity well projectors, six of them. They pulled the _Triumphant_ out of hyperspace after I sent it away." He paused as he remembered Captain Emanon, the promising officer whose career had ended too soon. "We don't know their exact range, but it must be somewhere between five and twelve kilometers. And ion cannons." He next indicated the two eye-like protuberances on either side of the ship, and the wide mouth. "They fired some kind of expanding ring of ionization energy that completely short-circuited our ships. I've never seen anything like it."

"I have." Everyone turned to face the source of the voice. Ahsoka Tano, the first Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, stood up and approached the hologram, studying it thoughtfully. "During the Clone Wars, the Separatists had a similar weapon on a ship called _The Malevolence_."

Mo'Ari nodded. "Yes, I've read about it. But only in passing."

"I was actually there," responded Ahsoka. "I witnessed its handiwork with my own eyes. A lot of people were killed by that ship." She pointed to the first two cannons on the hologram. "These are very similar to the ones on the _Malevolence_. But this one…" She indicated the larger cannon in front. "This is easily twice as large as that one. I can't even imagine how it works. It doesn't look like it's designed the same as the other two."

Luke asked, "How did you destroy the Separatist ship?"

"We attacked it in a squadron of bombers. As one of the cannons was charging, we fired a barrage of proton torpedoes at it. When the weapon tried to fire, it overloaded, disabling both cannons and crippling the ship."

A new voice piped up, "Then that's how we deal with _this_ ship. Simple."

Luke winced at Ben Skywalker's candidness. Even though his son was now a Jedi Knight, he was only twenty years old and did not have nearly as much experience as any of the other people in the room. However, no one else seemed to be bothered by Ben's suggestion.

"It's not that simple, Jedi Skywalker," replied Ahsoka. She traced the edge of the hologram with her finger. "This ship appears to have even more laser cannons than the _Malevolence_ did, and they're positioned so they can best protect the ion cannons. It took five bombers with full payloads to destroy one of the _Malevolence_ 's cannons, so imagine what it would take to destroy this big cannon. Also, waiting for the weapon to charge before attacking it is too risky. What if the attack doesn't work, and we wouldn't find out until after a Star Destroyer or a space station had been disabled?"

Ben stood up and answered, "That's a risk worth taking! You heard the admiral; this ship destroyed an entire fleet! And it's going to _keep_ destroying our fleets until _we_ destroy _it_!"

"We all agree on that, but we can't attack without first having a plan."

"Well, here's a plan; launch every bomber we have at that thing and keep hitting it until it blows!"

Luke could tell that people were beginning to be annoyed by Ben, and he himself was beginning to feel embarrassed. Through the Force, he directed stern thoughts in his son's direction, urging him to stop talking.

It worked. Suddenly aware of his behavior, Ben bowed his head in apology and sat back down. But he was not calm. Luke could feel anger begin to well up within him. He knew that Jedi were not supposed to feel anger – after all, anger led to the dark side – but he could not blame Ben for it in this instance. Even though it had been a year since Ben's two-month enslavement by the Sith on Dromund Kaas, the pain of all that he had seen and experienced had never faded.

"Is that really such a bad idea?" Everyone was surprised to hear Kyp Durron ask this. True, he was one of the more outspoken members of the Jedi Council, but he knew better than to condone such a reckless action. He explained, "We just suffered our first major defeat in this war, and this ship is responsible. Things are just going to get worse from here, so maybe a plan isn't going to help us any more than a good old-fashioned assault."

Luke felt annoyed that Kyp had essentially just validated Ben's poor behavior, but he could not help but agree with him on one point; things were getting worse.

Apparently, he was not the only one. Kenth Hamner stood up to address everyone assembled. "Master Durron is not wrong. The war is turning in the Sith's favor." This statement seemed to surprise everyone more than the previous ones. Had a Jedi Master, a member of the Jedi Council, and the order's longtime liaison with the military just say that they were losing the war? "We can deny it," he continued, "but we cannot avoid it.

"True, our victories greatly outweigh our losses on the whole, but I'm more concerned with the frequency of our losses." Kenth approached the holomap console and typed in the console as he spoke. "This graph shows the number of battles we've won every month as a percentage of the total number of battles we've fought." A large line graph appeared above the console. At the beginning, the line was steady towards the top of the graph. But, gradually, the line began to slope downwards. With each successive month, the decrease grew. "As you can see," explained Kenth, "When the war began, our chances were very promising. But, as time went by, we started to win a smaller percentage of the battles. You can also see that our victory rate is declining at an exponential rate. Based on this, I've calculated that, within the next two years…"

"Now, hang on," interrupted Kyle Katarn's hologram, representing the physically absent master. "We've only been in this war for less than _one_ year. You can't predict the next _two_. There's not enough data yet. Besides, according to your graph, we're still winning 75% of the time."

With a hint of irritation in his voice, Kenth responded, "Yes, I realize that. I'm just trying to show you all that we need to change our strategy soon. We were caught off-guard when this rumored "Lost Tribe" appeared. That is when we started to slip. Now that the Sith control Gederon, they're going to expand into other territories faster than we may be able to handle. Unless we do something, we _are_ going to lose this war."

While no one was willing to admit it, this thought had crossed the minds of many of them. If Kenth had not spoken up, the sentiment might have gone unsaid until it was too late. _Well,_ Luke thought, _at least we're admitting the problem. Maybe now we can find a solution._ Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. Luke had been searching for a quick end to this war for the past year. There was one way to do that, but every plan he came up with had fallen apart before it could even be enacted.

Jaden Korr, a senior Jedi Knight, spoke up. "We know that the Sith have an advantage over us – the Sith Orb. Maybe we should be devoting our time to finding a way to get rid of that advantage."

This was answered with multiple murmurs of agreement. Ahsoka said, "I think we're all agreed on that. The Sith Orb is what they used to build their army in the first place. It's what keeps their army growing. If we take it away, that growth stops. If we destroy it, everything it created is destroyed as well. That wouldn't end the war – we'd still have to deal with the three apprentices and the Lost Tribe – but it would make winning the war much easier… and allow us to avoid any more losses like Gederon. The question is, how? Darth Hatus has the orb."

"Well, that makes it simpler. We don't have to fight the entire Sith army; we just need to fight Hatus."

Saba Sebatyne, a lizard-like Barabel, sissed, "Cut of the head of the hka'ka, and the body will fall."

"Exactly. Except, in this case, Hatus is the literal head of the… hakaka." Saba growled at his mispronunciation of what she believed to be a simple word, but he ignored her. "We only have to kill one person to end this war."

"'Kill' is a strong word, Jaden," admonished Kyle. "Our job as Jedi is to bring peace, not vengeance. We should be trying to bring Hatus to justice if we can. He should answer for his crimes."

Jaden frowned at his former master, accentuating his angular features, hatchet nose, and deep-set gray eyes. "By my understanding, that sort of thinking is what allowed Hatus to rise in the first place. He should have been sentenced to death for organizing that prison break, but the old Jedi let him live, and he escaped. When we found him, the Council debated whether or not to let him die, yet you decided to let him live again. Now, we're stuck in a war that we're losing because we keep making the mistake of letting Demood Elppirc live. I don't like the idea any more than any of you, but it's time we ask ourselves; how many more massacres will it take before we realize that an exception must be made?"

Silence descended upon the room. Jaden Korr was one of the most intelligent Jedi in the Order. He was well-versed in galactic history and diplomacy, and he was never afraid to ask questions – especially if no one else had the courage to ask them. He had been offered a promotion to the rank of Jedi Master during the Second Galactic Civil War, but he had declined, unsure if he had been ready to accept the responsibility. Even though he was only a Jedi Knight, the council valued his hard honesty and strong moral compass.

Luke nodded his head. "Jaden's right. I think we can all agree that, if we could go back two years and do things differently, we would absolutely let Demood Elppirc die. Unfortunately, we can't go back in time. What we can do is rectify our mistake to prevent any more innocent lives from being lost."

"I agree." Luke was not surprised to hear Ahsoka say this. She had known Darth Hatus, formerly Jedi Master Demood Elppirc, when she was a Padawan during the Clone Wars. She had seen firsthand the damage he had done to the Republic. In fact, she had briefly been suspected of his crimes. When Elppirc was found alive by the New Jedi Order, Ahsoka had argued strongly for letting him die. Ultimately, she had respected Luke's decision to save him using the Sith Orb, even though she had disagreed with it. Whether she would admit it or not, this matter was personal to her, and she would not be able to find peace until Darth Hatus was permanently out of her life.

"The problem," she continued, "is getting close to him. Based on our intelligence, he rarely leaves the Sith base on Korriban. And that base is too heavily protected for us to attack."

"Perhaps an infiltrator can get in undetected?" suggested the normally quiet Octa Ramis.

Corran shook his head. "Too risky. Any non-Sith would stick out too well. And our Force presences would give us away."

Again, Ben spoke up. "I can do it. I know how to hide my Force presence. Plus, I've snuck around a Sith base before."

Luke turned to face his son and responded, "That's very brave of you, Ben. But it would take an experienced Jedi Master to defeat Hatus."

"I have _plenty_ of experience," insisted Ben. "It will be just like Dromund Kaas, except there won't be any slaves to worry about, and I'll have my lightsaber with me." He held up his new lightsaber, which he had constructed after being rescued from Dromund Kaas.

"On Dromund Kaas, you were just trying to survive. That's very different from picking a fight with a Sith Lord."

"Aren't you forgetting that I fought and killed Darth Volatis?"

Luke had not forgotten that. It was hard to forget when one's twenty-year-old son committed murder, and harder still when the person he murdered was a clone of his dead mother. Neither had he forgotten that Ben had confessed to using the dark side of the Force to kill her.

Ahsoka must have been thinking the same thing, for her Force aura oozed with contempt as she said, "Darth Hatus is much more powerful and unpredictable than Volatis, and he has an entire army of Sith to back him up. A stealth mission is out of the question."

"But I can do it!" protested Ben. "I _know_ I—"

"The answer is NO." Ahsoka stated firmly. For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone simply watched as Ben and Ahsoka stared each other down.

Finally, Luke cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "It's clear that we can't get to Hatus. We've tried that many times before, and every attempt has failed. That's why, I think it's time we tried something new; bring Hatus to us." Everyone gave him an expression that was some combination of surprise and confusion. He decided to elaborate. "We don't stand a chance against Hatus on his own turf. But, if we bring him to an environment _we_ control, then we have a crucial advantage over him."

Everyone considered this. Luke could tell from their expressions and movements that they all agreed with his reasoning. "How would we do that?" asked Leia. "He's not likely to go anywhere without backup, and he would probably sense any trap that we try to set."

"Maybe not," replied Luke. "If we were to lure him with something that he has an emotional connection to, he wouldn't want the other Sith to know about it. He'd come alone, and he might be so focused on it that he wouldn't be able to sense anything else."

Ahsoka frowned, deep in thought. After a moment, she said, "I don't think he has an emotional connection to anything. As a Jedi, he had no possessions that didn't have some kind of function."

"It doesn't have to be an object; it could be a piece of information, a place, or even a person. If we just keep looking, I'm sure we'll find something we can use."

It was a longshot, and everyone knew it. But it was better than doing nothing. So, it was decided that the Jedi would use whatever resources necessary to uncover Demood Elppirc's past. With that matter settled, the war council continued as usual. Half an hour later, the meeting concluded, and people began to file out of the room. Luke could tell that Ben was in a dour mood, so he made to follow him for a father-son chat.

"Master Skywalker, a word?"

Luke stopped upon hearing Ahsoka's voice. When he turned around to face her he saw that she had not moved from her seat. _I guess I'll talk to Ben later._ He sat down next to her and waited for everyone else to leave the room. Once the two of them were alone, he spoke. "I know you think it's a waste of time, but I believe that this is the best way to stop Hatus. There are so many—"

"We need to talk about Ben," Ahsoka interrupted in her most serious voice.

Luke sighed. "He didn't mean to be disrespectful. All he wants is to help. After everything he's been through—"

" _Do_ you know what he's been through?" she interrupted again. "Has he talked to you about what happened on Dromund Kaas?"

"Well… no, not really."

"Well, he hasn't talked to me, either. Did you know that he hasn't come to our sessions in a month?" Ahsoka was referring to the weekly conversations she had been having with Ben ever since his return. Her intention was to help him deal with his emotions in a healthy manner. She had been patient with him, at first, but his reluctance to express himself was beginning to concern her.

"No, I didn't know that," answered Luke.

"It's been a year, and he hasn't opened up to anyone."

"I don't want to force him to talk if he's not ready."

"It doesn't matter if he's ready. He's been keeping these emotions bottled up for too long. You've sensed it, haven't you? The fear, the anger, the hate; they've been growing in him."

Ahsoka's word choice made it clear what she was implying, and Luke did not like it. He stood up and snapped, "Ben is _not_ turning to the dark side."

Standing up as well, she responded, "Are you sure of that? Because I'm not."

"Ben is a good kid on his way to becoming a great man. If you had been imprisoned by the Sith for two months, you'd be angry, too." It was not until after he had said this that he realized that it was the wrong thing to say.

Ahsoka looked hurt. "I was imprisoned by the Emperor for _four years_! I _was_ angry, but I didn't keep that anger bottled up like Ben is. Or like Jacen did after he was imprisoned by the Vong."

Now, it was Luke's turn to be hurt. When Jacen Solo had been about Ben's age, he had been held captive by the monstrous Yuuzhan Vong for a year. He had never given any details about what he had experienced during that time, but many in the Jedi Order believed that it had been a significant factor in his transformation into Darth Caedus. And since it had been revealed that Jacen had conspired with Hatus' three apprentices to build an army for the Sith, one might argue that his captivity had led to the New Sith War.

Luke wanted to believe that the current situation with Ben was different, but he could not. Truthfully, he had been harboring the same misgivings as Ahsoka. She was right; something had to be done about Ben. But Luke already knew what she had in mind, and he was no more open to it now than when she had first suggested it. "I am not sending my son away."

"I don't want to do that, either," Ahsoka replied calmly. "But I don't think we have a choice. Ben needs to work through his emotions, but he refuses to do it the healthy way, and nothing we say or do will change that. Eventually, he'll explode, and he could do a lot of damage. If we send him someplace uninhabited, he'll grow bored enough that he will be forced to deal with his feelings somewhere he can't hurt anyone. Once he cools down afterwards, we'll bring him back, and everything will go back to normal."

"You're talking about _exile_ ," said Luke.

"I prefer to think of it as forced meditative leave."

"Call it whatever you want; the answer's still no."

Ahsoka's face twisted as she fought to hide her frustration. "Then you need to have a talk with your son, or else _I_ will. Because whether you want to admit it or not, Ben's showing the same warning signs that I ignored in your father – and in Jacen." Her tone softened as she recalled painful memories. "I've already watched two members of your family turn to the dark side. I can't watch it happen again."

Realizing how deeply personal this issue was to Ahsoka stunned Luke speechless. During the Clone Wars, she had been Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. She had known him better than most people; more than that, she had practically idolized him. When he turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader, she had not found out until he had nearly killed her in the Siege of the old Jedi Temple. His betrayal had driven her to abandon her identity and block out all memories of her time as a Jedi.

Decades later, when Jacen Solo had turned, Ahsoka had been deeply affected. For weeks, she had refused to speak to anyone, let alone look Luke in the eye. She had become so reclusive that Luke had feared she might leave the Jedi Order. However, after Caedus' death, she had regressed to her old self to help guide the Jedi through the aftermath of his crimes. Luke suspected that her true motive was to prevent him from falling prey to his own guilt. He had blamed himself for his nephew's fall and all the atrocities he had committed – including the murder of Luke's wife, Mara Jade Skywalker. If Ben followed in his grandfather's and cousin's footsteps, Luke could not imagine recovering from such a devastating loss.

"You're right," he told Ahsoka. "I'll talk to him."

* * *

Luke did not talk to Ben immediately after his conversation with Ahsoka. As the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, he had many duties to attend to every day. On this particular day, he did not return to his quarters until late that night. There, he found Ben fast asleep in his bed. Luke thought about waking him, but decided against it. _I'll talk to him tomorrow._ He then changed into his nightclothes and settled into his own bed. As usual, it took him well over an hour to drift off to sleep.

That night, he had the strangest dream….

* * *

 **If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Luke Skywalker surveyed the aftermath of the battle. Grass that had once been green was now either brown or black. Buildings had been reduced to empty shells of brick and mortar, burnt wood, and broken glass. The cobblestone streets were now broken and uneven. That did not hinder the six-legged AT-TE walkers, which ground down the scattered stones as they stomped through the city. Clone troopers and other Republic personnel had just begun what was shaping up to be the largest cleanup operation Luke had ever been a part of.

Of course, he usually never stayed for the cleanup. He often left the task to Obi-Wan or Admiral Yularen. Luke much preferred the thrill of battle over the dull procedures he was constantly reminded to adhere to. The Jedi Council just did not understand; every Jedi had their own strengths and weaknesses, so why not assign them the duties they are best at?

The Battle of Latru had been won, of course, but it had taken longer than it should have. The civilians had not been evacuated before the fighting started, so the Republic forces had to be extra careful about where they pointed their weapons. But that had not been Luke's fault. It was that annoying king who refused to let his people leave. Seeing the destruction surrounding him, Luke could not help but feel a little bit sorry for the people who were now homeless. But only a little bit. After all, they had chosen to ally with the Separatists. They had brought this upon themselves.

"General Skywalker." Luke turned to face a clone trooper who wore white armor with blue markings, a matching helmet with jagged blue "eyes" painted above the visor, a black command pauldron, and a black kama skirt. The clone saluted to Luke and reported, "Sir, the king is inside the palace, and he's requested to speak to you about terms of surrender."

"Good work, Rex," Luke replied in a tenor voice. "Keep your comm open in case I need you." With disdain in his voice, he added, "With this king, we need to be prepared for anything."

Captain Rex nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, sir."

As Luke walked to the royal palace, he kept his Force awareness open to his surroundings, just in case the king had set a trap for him. Before the battle, Luke would never have felt the need to do so. But now, he would not put anything past him.

Latru was an isolated world in the Outer Rim, far from any major hyperspace lane. The planet had no strategic value, its people were not technologically advanced, and the only resource the planet produced was food. But that food was what put the planet on the map. Its nutrient-rich soil allowed a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts to be grown. The animals raised on the planet also benefitted, producing rich milk and savory meat. The finest food exported from the planet had been a luxury for the wealthy, while the cheapest had been a necessity for the hungry. Count Dooku and the Separatists had targeted the planet to control who received the food.

Monad Joisür, the King of Latru, had been quick to swear his allegiance to Dooku in exchange for the promise of wealth. He had made sure that the exported food was only sent to worlds that had allied with the Separatists. Everyone else, longing for the exotic food or hungry for the cheap food, became frustrated and began to talk about leaving the Republic for the Separatists. Fearing that the mass secessions would lead to them losing the Clone Wars, the Republic had decided to take back Latru by force.

After Luke's fleet had succeeded in destroying the Separatist blockade, his troops had landed on the planet, setting up a staging point beyond the walls of the planet's only city. But King Joisür, refusing to be defeated, had set fire to the surrounding farmland, sacrificing the planet's precious crops to try and impede the Republic attack. Eventually, the fire burned out, allowing the clones to march on the city.

Approaching the walls, they had come under attack by the planet's militia. Fortunately, very few of them had been actual soldiers; most of them had just been farmers, artisans, and builders who had been forced to fight by their king. Even as they were being slaughtered, they were not allowed to retreat, so they all ended up either dead or critically wounded. Also, the king had forbidden the civilians to leave the city, using them as human shields against the Republic's attack. The clones had been as careful as they could, but many innocents had died in the battle that had destroyed much of the city.

The royal palace remained relatively unscathed. It was a big, tall building with towers and arches and parapets, all made from imported durasteel, transparisteel, and aurodium – lots and lots of purely decorative golden aurodium. It did not match any of the other buildings at all. Even Luke – whose aesthetic taste was questionable, at best – did not think it belonged on Latru. From what he had heard, King Joisür had ordered the expensive renovations when he first took the throne. The palace's design was a testament to his extravagant taste.

The interior was even worse than the exterior. As the large doors slid apart to allow him entry, Luke was forced to temporarily shield his eyes from the light that shone through the huge transparisteel windows and reflected off of the ornate gold designs embedded in the walls, ceilings and floors. There were also aurodium vases and sculptures, many of which were also embedded with gems representing every color of the rainbow. _What is this guy's obsession with aurodium?_ Everything was so clean and polished that Luke could see his reflection in, well, everything. At least he looked good. The curves of the vases made him look even taller than he already was. His dark, wavy hair looked shiny and somewhat kempt. And the scar over his right eye was barely visible in the golden mirrors.

Luke strode across the entrance hall and passed through a second set of doors. He found himself inside the throne room. It was constructed and decorated in a style similar to the entrance hall, except there was a long, deep purple carpet leading up to the king's throne on the opposite side of the room. As Luke began the _very_ long walk across the room, he took in his surroundings. Various treasures lined the wall, a testament to the king's vast wealth and influence – and greed. Overhead skylights allowed light to pour in from the ceiling and bounce off of every shiny object in the room. Four guards, wearing gold-colored armor and wielding two-meter-long spears, stood at the foot of a two-meter-high set of steps leading up to the throne (it was easy to guess what it was made of), upon which sat King Monad Joisür.

Luke had never seen the king before, so he took a minute to take in his appearance. As he had expected, the king was dressed in fine robes of purple and gold. Ornate patterns were stitched along the hems of his tunic and cloak, and aurodium jewelry hung from his neck and wrists. The man himself had smooth, pale skin, brown eyes, and wavy jet-black hair that flowed over his shoulders, giving him the appearance of a young man. But Luke could sense that it was all vanity. Monad Joisür was at least seventy years old. He must have used his wealth to buy the finest rejuvenation products and treatments in the galaxy. In his right hand was a meter-long aurodium scepter with carved winged lizards entwined around it. Atop the king's head was an aurodium crown, inset with gems of all colors and shaped in the likeness of flames.

Sitting to his left, in an extravagant chair, was a dark-skinned girl with curly black hair; large, green, almond-shaped eyes; and prominent black lips. She wore a beautiful olive-green dress that tightly hugged her narrow waist, wide hips, and buxom breasts, which threatened to spill out of her low-cut bodice. The skirt was split down the front, allowing the dress to part to either side and expose her legs all the way to her upper thighs. Like the king, she wore aurodium necklaces, bracelets, and rings, but she also wore matching high-heeled shoes and a tiara. She must have been Queen Treya, but she looked nothing like King Monad, nor was she anywhere close to his age. In fact, she appeared to be no older than Ahsoka! Did the king force the girl to marry him, or did she seduce him for the promise of wealth?

When Luke reached the foot of the throne, he bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, my name is Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight."

The king waved his hand dismissively. "I have heard of you. Your reputation precedes you, Jedi Skywalker." His voice was deep and melodic, and he spoke in an accent that reminded Luke of his mother's.

"I was told you would like to discuss terms of surrender?"

"Indeed. Latru will reopen trade with the rest of the galaxy, if the following conditions are met. First, we request immediate membership in the Republic and a seat in the Galactic Senate."

Luke suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He had expected the king to make some unreasonable request, and this was about as unreasonable as they came. "That's not how it works. There's a process with diplomatic channels, trade agreements, currency standardization. And, at this point in the war, that process could take a year."

The king pursed his lips in thinly veiled anger. He did not like people telling him "no." After he had regained his composure, he responded, "Perhaps you could be persuaded to forgo the process. Name your price."

Luke scoffed. "I don't want anything from you. And I'm not going to help you cheat your way into the Republic."

"Fine, then I suppose the galaxy won't be getting our food after all." Joisür leaned back in his throne, smiling smugly.

"Is that supposed to scare me? Your only export is luxury food. The galaxy will be fine without you."

The king was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't think you understand the historical value of Latru."

"Enlighten me."

"There is a Jedi who was born on our world. Perhaps you are familiar with him. Demood Elppirc?"

Luke clenched his fists at the mention of Elppirc's name. In a low growl, he replied, "Demood Elppirc was a traitor, and he died a traitor's death."

"So I've heard. But he was once a hero, was he not? Did he not rescue the Sultan of Shili's daughter from the Black Sun? Or negotiate an end to the War of Trandosha? Should he not also be remembered for his accomplishments?" Before he could give Luke a chance to respond, he continued, "In light of that, I have an artifact that represents his heroism. If Latru is inducted into the Republic, I will give it to you as a notion of goodwill."

Luke crossed his arms and frowned suspiciously. "What is this artifact?"

"Demood Elppirc's first lightsaber."

For a moment, Luke was stunned speechless. _First_ lightsaber? He had no idea Elppirc had had more than one. After his arrest, the Jedi kept his lightsaber in the Jedi Temple to serve as a reminder that they had failed him. Luke disagreed with this sentiment. The Jedi had not failed Elppirc; he had failed the Jedi. "How do you have it?" he asked.

"It was uncovered in the mines," answered King Joisür. "He famously dropped it in a fight with a stone-dragon, twenty years ago. With his weapon lost, he slayed the beast with his bare hands. It was quite the magnificent battle!"

Luke did not even stop to dwell on the existence of "stone-dragons." There was something far more interesting at the forefront of his mind. "Elppirc was here?"

"Oh, yes. He lived on Latru for a year while on an assignment for the Jedi Council."

Luke had never heard of Elppirc having an assignment on Latru. Then again, he had not really cared about his history – especially now that Elppirc was a traitor. Still, his interest was piqued. "Show me the lightsaber."

The king wagged his finger. "Not until you agree to my terms."

"Then, how do I know you actually have it? You could be lying just to get what you want."

"YOU DARE TO CALL ME A LIAR?!" The king pounded his fists on the armrests of his throne, heaving with rage. Apparently, Luke had hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

Queen Treya took her husband's left hand in hers and spoke in a gentle, sultry voice. "He does not know what he says, Your _Magnificent_ Highness. Pay this fool no heed." She then placed the king's hand on her smooth, bare thigh and slowly stroked it back and forth. As she did so, the king closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Luke diverted his eyes to the vaulted ceiling, trying to hide his disgust. This girl was definitely an aurodium-digger.

A moment later, having been calmed down by his wife, Joisür opened his eyes and smiled pitifully at Luke. "You are absolutely right, my dear. If he knew how much in common he had with Master Elppirc, he would not be so rude."

"I am _nothing_ like that traitor!" growled Luke.

The king shook his head. "Did your mother never tell you where she grew up?"

Luke froze in shock and anger. The mention of his mother filled him with rage and guilt. " _What_ did you just say?"

"Your mother, Shmi Skywalker. Did she never tell you that she grew up here in the city?"

"That's not true! Her parents were explorers; she moved around too much to call anyplace home."

"Her father was a master toymaker. Her mother was a seamstress. The Skywalker family were once well-renowned craftspeople. Unfortunately, their reputation was ruined when their daughter became pregnant with you."

"You're lying!"

The king continued as though Luke had said nothing. "Ah, yes, I remember it well. It was the biggest scandal we had had in years. There were so many theories as to who the father was, but the foolish girl insisted that she had never even _been_ with a man!" He laughed derisively at this.

"Stop it!"

"Oh, but it gets even better! Not long after word got out that she was pregnant, Shmi was kidnapped by Zygerrian slavers. Shortly afterward, her parents came into a large sum of money. Rumors began to circulate that they had been so ashamed of her that they had sold her into slavery to compensate for their lost business and try to erase her stain on the family name." The king laughed again.

It had to be a lie. Luke _knew_ it was a lie. Shmi had told the truth when she said that there had been no father. She could never explain how she had become pregnant. Master Qui-Gon believed that Luke had been conceived by the Force itself, making him the prophesized Chosen One; the one who would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. Still, a trickle of doubt crept into Luke's mind. Even though he had accepted his mother's story, he had never been content with it. Besides, how else could King Monad know Shmi's name, or that she had been enslaved? Was it possible that he was telling the truth?

No, of course not. Luke pointed accusingly at the king and said, "You made that all up! You looked up my mother's name somewhere and made up a ridiculous story to try to trick me into agreeing to your outrageous demands!"

"Outrageous?" repeated Joisür. "What's outrageous is that you refuse to repay your debt to me!"

"Debt? There is no debt! I owe you nothing!"

"You owe me _everything_!" The king learned forward in his throne and shouted, "You burned my crops! You slaughtered my army! You massacred my people! You destroyed my city! And you killed my son! My _heir_!" He was referring to his son from his first marriage, who had led the Latru militia into battle and been shot by a clone trooper.

"LIAR!" yelled Luke. " _You're_ the one who burned your own crops! You sent your militia to kill us! You used your people as a shield, putting them in harm's way! All of that was _your_ fault!"

"Prove it!"

Those two words caught Luke off-guard. It took him a minute to formulate a response to that. "What do you mean, 'prove it?' I saw it! My troops saw it! That's proof enough!"

The king grinned maliciously. "Is it? Will it be enough when I tell the entire Senate about all of the crimes you committed here? You'll deny it, of course, and you'll order your troops to deny it as well. But they will see through your lies. Now, if Latru were part of the Republic, then it would be inappropriate of me to incriminate my new ally, would it not? I would have to say that it was all just collateral damage."

Thus far, Luke had been struggling to control his temper. Now, he had reached his breaking point. "Listen here, you lying sleemo! I'll tell everyone the truth about you! About how you destroyed your own kingdom because you couldn't stand to have your stupid ego bruised! How you sacrificed your own people just to save your own worthless hide! How you tried to blackmail me, frame me for your own crimes, and then commit perjury in front of the entire Senate! You'll spend the rest of your life rotting in a cell, unless they decide to execute you then and there!"

The king practically exploded with rage. " _YOU'RE_ THE LIAR! _I'M_ THE ONE THEY'RE GOING TO BELIEVE! I'M THE GREAT AND POWERFUL KING OF LATRU! AND YOU'RE JUST THE BASTARD OF A COMMON WHORE!"

Those were the last words King Monad Joisür ever spoke. At the same time Luke clenched his fist in anger, a horrifying _snap_ echoed throughout the throne room. The guards at the foot of the throne turned around and looked up to see the king's head lying on his right shoulder, perpendicular to his neck. His eyes and mouth were wide open, frozen mid-yell. Then, he slumped forward, fell out of his throne, and tumbled lifelessly down the steps.

Queen Treya let out a blood-curdling scream. "HE MURDERED THE KING! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

Before Luke even had a chance to think, the four guards sprang into action, charging at him with their spears. He ignited his lightsaber and, in one stroke, sliced off the tips of their weapons. While the guards were frozen with surprise, he eviscerated them all with a second stroke. Treya, meanwhile, had hopped out of her throne to make a run for it. But the stiletto heel on one of her shoes snapped on her first step, causing her to lose her balance, tumble over the arm of her throne, and then fall off of the raised platform. The back of her head was the first to hit the floor. Through the Force, Luke sensed her immediate death.

Being the only living person left in the throne room, Luke suddenly realized what he had done. He had just killed an unarmed man in cold blood! He had used the Force to snap the old man's neck! _I didn't mean to,_ he thought. _I just wanted to choke him so that he'd stop talking._ But, in his anger, he had lost control. And now, six people were dead because of him. Luke had killed people before – it was a necessity during wartime – but this was different. He had given in to the dark side of the Force. He had broken one of the Jedi Order's most important principles.

That gave rise to another thought. _If someone comes in here and finds the bodies, they're going to figure out what I did. I could be expelled; or worse, arrested._ Luke could not allow that to happen. He needed to cover up his crime. But how? How could he explain what had happened? He could try to convince the Jedi Council that he had had no choice. _No, I could have chosen to kill him in a more humane way. Besides, what justification could I have for killing an unarmed man?_

 _Unless, he_ wasn't _unarmed. That's right. He lured me in by pretending he wanted to talk, and then he tried to kill me in another act of defiance._ But how did his neck get broken? _His attack backfired and killed him instead._ But what kind of attack would lead to a broken neck? Nothing, Luke realized. But maybe it did not have to be the attack itself. _Yes, the attack backfired and caused damage to the room, and then… then one of the beams holding the ceiling up broke loose, swung down, and hit the king._ After running through his story a second time, Luke decided that it would explain everything sufficiently. _Now, I just need to make it look convincing._

Reaching out with the Force, Luke found the support beams holding up the ceiling and willed them all to break. After considerable effort, they finally did, and Luke watched as the room collapsed around him, using the Force as a personal umbrella against falling debris. When the dust settled, the bodies of the king, queen, and four guards were buried beneath a pile of rubble. Satisfied that his work was done, he turned to leave…

…and froze. He could sense fear within the remains of the throne room. There was someone else in the room, someone he had not noticed before. Knowing that even one witness could ruin him, Luke decided to search for this person. He was surprised to find that the life-sign was emanating from the remains of the platform where the king's throne had once sat, and off of which the queen had fallen to her death. Maybe she had not died, after all. Luke slowly approached the platform, following the source of the life-sign. As he drew nearer, he realized that it was coming from _beneath_ the platform. The collapse had partially exposed the durasteel frame that had previously been hidden by a wraparound curtain. The frame was still mostly intact and protecting the person hiding within. In one swift motion, Luke ripped the curtain aside, ignited his lightsaber, and pointed it at…

…a child. A boy, no older than nine. Bathed in the blue light of Luke's weapon, the boy had pale skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. He was dressed in fine clothes that were now covered in dust and dirt. He stared at Luke with an expression of pure terror. But it was nothing compared to the fear he exuded through the Force.

Seeing the frightened boy, Luke deactivated his lightsaber and reached out a hand. "It's all right. I'll get you out of here." To his surprise, rather than take his hand, the boy scuttled away from it, hyperventilating. That is when Luke realized that the boy was afraid of _him_ , and that he must have seen, or at least heard, the entire confrontation with the king. This boy knew what Luke had done, and Luke could not allow him to tell anyone about it.

But neither could he kill the boy. Luke would never be able to live with that. Out of curiosity, he asked, "What's your name?"

At first, the boy said nothing. Then, a moment later, he quaveringly answered, "Cresta."

Cresta? Why did that name sound familiar to Luke? He was certain he had never met this boy before. Maybe he had read his name in the research Luke had done prior to the battle. And then it hit him: the boy was Cresta Joisür, the king's grandson. The poor boy had just watched Luke violently murder his grandfather. Yet, Luke sensed no anger or hatred from Cresta; only fear. That was a good indication that the boy might not have been interested in revenge. But, just to be sure, Luke asked, "Are you going to tell anyone what you saw just now?"

Cresta shook his head quickly.

It was not a definitive answer, but it was the best Luke would get without killing him. So, he stood up and stepped away from the platform. "Go. Get out of here." After a second's hesitation, Cresta darted out from beneath the platform and ran away, sobbing.

With the boy gone, Luke left the palace the way he had entered. He ran through the doors to find Captain Rex waiting for him. "Sir!" the clone called. "Are you alright? We heard an explosion. What happened?"

"It was a trap!" Luke growled. "That no-good king rigged his own throne room to explode to try and kill me!"

"Where's the king?"

"Dead," he answered bluntly. "In the explosion."

For a moment, Rex was silent. With his helmet on, Luke could not see his face, so he had no way of knowing if Rex suspected anything was amiss. He must not have, for he then asked, "Orders, sir?"

Luke turned back towards the palace. He was confident that he had covered his tracks well, but one could never be too careful. "Destroy the palace."

"What?" exclaimed Rex. "Why?"

Adopting an annoyed tone, Luke answered, "It doesn't matter why. What matters is that you follow my orders. Now destroy that palace!"

With less enthusiasm than usual, Rex responded, "Yes, sir." He then lifted his left arm to his face and spoke into his wristcomm. "All cannons, fire on the palace." A second later, he added, "This order is confirmed."

It was a while before the AV-7 heavy cannons and AT-TE walkers turned towards the palace and began to open fire. Luke watched as the magnificent building slowly succumbed to artillery blasts, all the while hoping that young Cresta had escaped. He felt sorry for the boy; he had lost his father, his grandfather, and his home, all in a single day. At such a young age, those kinds of losses could drive a person down a dangerous path. Which begged the question: What would become of Cresta Joisür?

Finally, with a resounding rumble, the royal palace of Latru collapsed into a giant pile of rubble. As Luke stared at the wreckage he had caused, he thought to himself, _Never again. I will never lose control of my emotions again._

 _Ever._

* * *

The next thing Luke knew, he was lying in a bed in a dark room. He was back in his quarters in the Jedi Temple. It took him less than a second to realize that he had been dreaming. But what a strange dream it had been. He had dreamt that he was his father. Not _like_ his father; he had actually _been_ Anakin Skywalker. He had been on a planet called Latru, sometime during the Clone Wars. And he had killed a rotten king.

Luke tried to make sense of the dream. First of all, why had he been his father? Was it even possible? He could not remember ever having a dream in which he had been a different person; then again, he could not remember most of his dreams. And this planet – Latru – did it really exist? Luke had never heard of it. Nor had he been anywhere that resembled it. Maybe he had just made it up. But it had been so realistic, so detailed. Luke wondered, _Was it really a dream? Or did it actually happen?_

That thought led to a chilling prospect; if the dream had really happened, then it meant that Anakin Skywalker really had murdered the King of Latru and destroyed his palace. It still bothered Luke when he heard about the atrocities committed by Darth Vader. Even though he had accepted it, he had never grown used to being related to someone so evil. But this was different. This was _before_ his father had turned to the dark side, when he was still a devoted Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars. Whenever Luke had thought about his father, he tried to think of the good man he had once been. Now, Luke was no longer sure he could think of him that way. No hero killed people out of anger.

 _Maybe I can forgive him for this one. After all, that king_ did _insult his mother. Still, that's no excuse…_

And then Luke remembered something else about the dream. King Joisür had claimed that Anakin's mother – Luke's grandmother – had been born on Latru. Not only that, but Demood Elppirc had been born there, too. _And_ he had lived there for a year as an adult! Luke's heart began to race as this crucial piece in the puzzle of Darth Hatus slid into place. Earlier that very day, Luke had proposed searching for information about their enemy that the Jedi could use to defeat him. And now he had more information than he had expected to find!

Luke climbed out of bed and draped his brown Jedi cloak over his shoulders. He sat down in front of the holoprojector and keyed in the frequency to Ahsoka's quarters. She would not appreciate being woken in the middle of the night, but this was too important to wait until morning. This could be how the Jedi finally destroy the Sith.

* * *

 **This was an interesting chapter to write, mainly because of the content. What I loved most about it was introducing the world of Latru, which will play a major role in the story going forward! Not only that, I added a huge plot twist directly related to _Episode I: The Phantom Menace_! And, best of all, I got to introduce my favorite original character ever! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Ahsoka Tano awoke to sound of a steady beeping. At first, she thought it was part of the nighttime ambiance of Coruscant. After a moment, however, she realized that it was actually her personal holocomm. Who would be calling her at this time of night? She supposed it must have been important, so she clambered out of bed, put a brown cloak on over her nightgown, and pressed the answer button on the console. To her surprise, the hologram that appeared depicted Luke Skywalker, also wearing a cloak over his nightclothes.

"Luke?" she asked, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry I woke you," he replied, "but this could be important. Have you ever heard of a planet called Latru?"

Ahsoka frowned as she searched her memory. After a while, she shook her head. "No, I don't think I have. Why?"

"I think there was a battle there during the Clone Wars, and I think my father was a part of it."

If Ahsoka had not been fully awake before, the mention of her former master had definitely finished the job. "What makes you think that?"

Hesitantly, Luke said, "I had a dream about it."

Ahsoka pulled up a chair and sat down in it. This was shaping up to be a long conversation. "What kind of dream?"

Luke explained, "It wasn't a normal dream. In it, I was my father. I looked like him, people called me by his name, I spoke with his voice; I even had some of his memories."

"His _memories_?" repeated Ahsoka, incredulous. "What memories?"

Luke frowned, concentrating on the details of his dream. "It wasn't like they were just there. They didn't come to me until something happened that reminded me of them. I had memories of the battle itself – my dream took place after it was over. I also remember some things from before the battle – pictures, mostly – of you, Obi-Wan, and Admiral… something."

"Yularen?" prodded Ahsoka.

"Yes, that's it. I also saw memories of his mother – my grandmother."

That was a major development. Anakin Skywalker had rarely ever talked to Ahsoka about his mother. All she knew was that they had both been enslaved by the Hutts, and that she had died sometime prior to the war. If Luke had had memories of Anakin's mother, then he was definitely not describing an ordinary dream. "Tell me more about it."

So he did. Luke described his dream, in which he, as Anakin, talked to the truly horrible-sounding King of Latru, who half-destroyed his own kingdom to try and prevent the Republic from winning. He had tried to bribe Anakin with a lightsaber that he claimed had once belonged to Demood Elppirc, who, apparently, had been born on Latru. The king had also claimed that Anakin's mother had been born there, as well. At that point in the story, Luke paused, as though he were uncertain about something. Maybe it was the thought of the family he had never known.

He did not dwell on it, however, for he quickly continued the story. "After that, I refused to agree to his demands, and he got angry. Things got heated, and… he blew up his own throne room to try and kill me. I escaped, and then I ordered the clones to destroy the rest of the palace. And that's when I woke up."

Hearing the part about the explosion jogged Ahsoka's memory. Eyes wide, she said, "Yes, I remember now! The incident caused a lot of buzz in the capital."

Uncertainly, Luke asked, "Do you know what happened next?"

Ahsoka shrugged and answered, "From what I heard, the Senate decided to cut off all trade with Latru. I guess, since most of its resources were destroyed, no one thought the planet was worth the trouble, especially at that point in the war. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention Latru since before the war ended."

"So… no one's been there since then?"

"As far as I know." Suspiciously, she added, "Why do you ask?"

Luke cleared his throat. Whether he was nervous or just had something stuck in his throat, Ahsoka could not tell. "I think I have to go there."

Ahsoka's mouth hung open. "What? Why?"

"Because it's where Demood Elppirc was born. Not only that, he _lived_ there for a whole _year_ as a Jedi Knight."

"You think you might find some clue there how to defeat Darth Hatus?"

"He might still have distant family there, or even people who knew him. This could be our best source of information."

Ahsoka thought about it. It was certainly possible that they could find what they were looking for on Latru. Unlikely, but possible. Then again, Elppirc had lived there so long ago, before he had turned to the dark side. Any information they find may not be pertinent to who he had become. Besides, if anyone who had known him was still alive, they were probably too old to remember him. And, after the recent defeat at Gederon, could the Jedi really afford to waste time on something like that? "I don't know, Luke. It sounds like too much of a stretch. And now just isn't the best time to be chasing leads that probably won't amount to anything."

"I know, but this is the _only_ lead we've got. And weren't we just saying yesterday that we need a lead like this?"

"Yes, but the odds of finding anything we can use are… well, I'm sure Threepio would tell you they're really bad."

Luke briefly smiled in amusement. Then, in all seriousness, he asked, "Why do you think I had this dream, right after we discussed something just like this? Maybe it was actually a Force vision. Maybe the Force wants me to go to Latru because it _knows_ there's something there to be found."

Ahsoka could not deny that possibility. She knew from experience that the Force worked in mysterious ways. Her decision to join the Rebellion had been because of a Force vision. She had even saved Luke's mother's life once because of a Force vision. But she also knew that Force visions were open to interpretation, and jumping to the wrong conclusion could have disastrous results. "Be careful, Luke. This vision might not lead to what you're looking for. Or, it might lead to something you don't want to find."

Luke nodded his head. "I know this is risky. Which is why I have to go alone."

"Alone?" Ahsoka repeated. "No, you can't go alone. In fact, you shouldn't be going at all. You're the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and it's in the middle of a crisis. I'll go instead."

"No. This is _my_ vision. _I_ have to be the one to act on it. Besides, the council can handle things while I'm gone."

There was no arguing on that point. If the Force wanted Luke to go, then it had to be for a reason. "Okay, but you still shouldn't go alone."

"If things don't go the way I hope, anyone who goes with me could be put in danger."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "If things don't go the way you hope, _you_ could be put in danger. That's why you need backup."

"If we're right, Latru hasn't had visitors in sixty years. The people will be anxious enough with me alone. I don't want to make things more complicated than they need to be by bringing a bunch of offworlders with me."

"I hardly think one or two more people will make a difference. Maybe you could bring Ben with you."

"No. I won't put my son in danger like that."

Ahsoka was beginning to grow suspicious. Why was Luke so intent on going to Latru alone? Why was he so certain that it would be dangerous? Scornfully, she asked, "Luke, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." But the speed with which he answered suggested otherwise. Ahsoka's expression must have conveyed this, for he then sighed and admitted, "The Jedi brought war to Latru. The people there blamed them for all of the death and destruction – my father most of all. I don't expect a warm welcome, and I don't want them to hurt Ben out of revenge for something he didn't do."

Her expression and tone softening, Ahsoka replied, "Oh. I see. Yes, that would cause problems. But I still think you should take at least one person with you."

After a moment, Luke said, "I'll think about it."

It was a lie, and they both knew it. But Ahsoka decided not to press the issue. Changing the topic, she asked, "Speaking of Ben, did you talk to him?" Luke did not answer immediately, which told Ahsoka all she needed to know. "Luke…" she groaned.

"I was going to," he protested, "but he was asleep when I got back, and I didn't want to wake him. I'll talk to him in the morning."

"You'd better. Delaying it will only make the problem worse. Whether he admits it or not, Ben needs help, and if he won't accept it, then we need to intervene."

"That won't be necessary. I promise."

Ahsoka was not convinced, but she nodded her head anyway and said, "I'll see you in the morning."

After saying good night, Luke hung up and his hologram disappeared, leaving Ahsoka alone with her thoughts. As she replayed the conversation in her head, she could not help but feel that Luke had been lying about something. Whatever it was, it must have made the prospect of going to Latru more dangerous than Luke wanted to admit.

* * *

Luke did not go back to sleep that night. There were just too many thoughts flying through his head. He still could not wrap his head around the fact that Anakin Skywalker had murdered King Monad Joisür. He wondered if he should have told Ahsoka about that part. He hated lying to her, but he also hated the idea of causing her emotional pain. She had looked up to Anakin like an older brother, and his fall to the dark side had been especially hard on her. Making her aware of a horrible act he had committed as a Jedi would ruin her memories of him.

Besides, if Luke had told her the truth, she would have vehemently opposed his decision to go to Latru – and for good reason. The people of Latru would no doubt hate Anakin for murdering their king and destroying their home. They might want revenge, and since Anakin was dead, they might view his son as an acceptable alternative. That thought was enough to make Luke second-guess his decision to go there.

But it did not change his mind. The Force had shown him that vision for a reason, and he believed that it wanted him to go. Whether it was for good or ill, Luke did not know. After the incident on Cloud City, Luke had learned to be wary of Force visions. When he went to Latru, he would be sure to keep his senses open and be ready to react at the first sign of trouble.

Eventually, Luke grew tired of staring at the ceiling while deep in thought, so he decided to get out of bed and start preparing for his trip. The first thing he did was look up Latru on the holonet. Sure enough, he found it, although there were few mentions of it. Just as Ahsoka had said, no one had bothered with the planet since its resources were destroyed during the Clone Wars. Also, the information given matched what Luke remembered from his dream.

The planet was located in the southern sector of the Outer Rim, near the boundary of the Mid Rim. It was nestled within a nascent star cluster, where gravimetric anomalies made hyperspace travel difficult. The only way to get to the planet was a single route branching off from the middle of one of the major hyperlanes. As such, it was rarely traveled. The planet was unusually small – less than 6,000 kilometers in diameter – with approximately 80% of its surface covered in water. Aside from hundreds of small islands scattered about, there was a single, large landmass with only one city, called Gratbür, with a population of about ten thousand. Of course, this was at the time of the Clone Wars. Luke wondered how much it had changed since then.

The rest of the continent was devoted mostly to farmland, although there were decent-sized towns spaced far apart. Fishing towns also lined the edges of rivers, lakes, and the surrounding ocean. However, it appeared that the city was where the royal palace had been, and was the epicenter of all trade, so Luke decided that that was where he should go. According to the climate data, that region of the planet was entering its winter season, distinguished by cold temperatures and heavy snowfall. _I guess I'd better make sure to bundle up_ , Luke thought.

And now, the question was, which ship should Luke take? He figured he might be on Latru for days, and he was not sure the people there would offer him a place to stay. While an X-Wing was fast and powerful, it was not ideal for living in. A shuttle was better suited for that, but Luke was skeptical that it would protect him if things became violent. He needed a ship that was both safe and comfortable. The _Millennium Falcon_ was a good example, although he knew Han Solo would not let him borrow it.

The _Jade Shadow_.

Luke almost immediately dismissed the thought and continued to ponder other options. But his mind kept circling back to the heavily-modified yacht that had belonged to his late wife. Ever since Mara Jade Skywalker's death, her ship had sat unused in a private hanger. It had originally been built for luxury, but Mara had modified and upgraded it with weapons, shields, advanced sensors, and even a small hanger for her X-Wing. It was perfect for the trip to Latru, but Luke was hesitant to sleep alone in the bed he had once shared with his wife. After giving it much thought, however, he decided that there was no point in letting a perfectly good ship go unused. Besides, it was long past time for Luke to move past his loss.

By the time he had finished planning his trip, it was nearly morning. Ben would wake up soon, which meant that Luke could no longer put off the conversation he had promised Ahsoka. As he cooked breakfast, he thought about what he would say – and how he would say it without pushing Ben away. If Ahsoka could have known what he was thinking, she would have told him that he was being too soft. And she probably would have been right. But the last thing Luke wanted was to push his son the way he had pushed his nephew.

The smell of cooked sausages and hotcakes must have woken Ben, for he climbed out of bed just before breakfast was ready. "Good morning. What's the special occasion?" he asked.

"Nothing," Luke answered. "I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I'd cook something for us." He set two identical food-laden plates on the table and sat down in one of the chairs.

Ben sat in the chair across from him and began eating almost before saying "Thanks."

For a moment, father and son ate in silence, enjoying the delicious food. Finally, Luke mustered up the courage and said, "I'm going away for a while."

Ben did not even pause. Evidently, it was not unusual for his father to make unannounced trips. Once he had swallowed the piece of toast he was working on, he asked nonchalantly, "Where are you going?"

"I may have a lead on where we can find information about Darth Hatus – his home planet, Latru. He lived there for a year while on an assignment as a Jedi Knight."

Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How did you find out about that?"

Luke briefly thought about whether or not to tell Ben about his dream. He ultimately decided that the details were not important. He answered, "I had a vision through the Force. I think there might be something there that we can use to defeat the Sith."

"I hope there is," responded Ben, spearing a piece of sausage on his fork. "It's about time we finally killed him." He then continued eating as though he had not just said something disturbing.

Luke winced at his son's comment. _Now or never_. "While I'm gone, I want you to start going to your weekly sessions with Master Tano again."

Ben abruptly lowered his fork, with a half-eaten sausage still on it, and glared at his father. "So, you two have been talking about me behind my back?"

That had not gone over well. "She's concerned about you, and so am I. You clearly have unresolved feelings about what happened on Dromund Kaas, and the best way to deal with them is to talk about them."

"There's nothing to talk about." Ben raised his fork to finish eating his sausage, as though the conversation were over.

Luke suppressed an exasperated sigh. "Obviously that's not true. We know that the Sith did horrible things to the prisoners, including you. Things that have lingering effects on people. Now, I wasn't there, so you have to—"

"No, you weren't," growled Ben, throwing his fork down onto his plate. "You weren't there, and neither was Master Tano, so how can either of you possibly understand?"

Determined not to lose his temper, Luke calmly said, "So _help_ us understand. _Describe_ everything in detail so that we can—"

Sarcastically, Ben asked, "Oh, you want me to relive the whole thing? Make me even more screwed up than I already am? Yeah, great parenting, Dad."

Luke was finally starting to crack. "Hey, this is serious. You're keeping your emotions bottled up and you need to release them in a healthy way."

"Well, here's an idea; send me to Korriban and let me 'release them' on Hatus!"

"We already discussed this at the meeting yesterday—"

"No, _I_ discussed it, but you two wouldn't listen—"

"It's not going to fix the problem—"

"Hatus will be dead. Problem solved."

"That's not the problem I was talking about—"

"—This whole war is his fault—"

"—You need to get your emotions under control—"

"—and no one seems to get it—"

"—Otherwise, they'll consume you—"

"—I'd be doing the galaxy a huge favor—"

"—and you'll end up just like Jacen!"

Ben shot up out of his chair and slammed his hands down on the table. "I am _not_ turning to the dark side!"

Luke also stood up and snapped, "It doesn't look that way right now."

"All I want is to make the Sith pay for everything they've done!"

"All you want is revenge! That's not the Jedi way!"

"Don't turn this into a lesson!"

"You _need_ this lesson!"

"I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

Ben couldn't come up with a good response, so he turned on his heel and stormed into his room.

"Hey!" yelled Luke. "I'm not done with you!"

That time, Ben had the perfect response. "Well, _I'm_ done with _you_!" With that, he pressed a button on the control panel and the door slid shut.

Luke sighed in frustration. That had not gone well at all. As he set about putting away the leftover food and washing the dishes, he reflected on the conversation, wondering if he could have done anything to prevent Ben from getting angry. _No,_ he decided, _I was calm and reasonable. Ben is the one who escalated it. It was_ his _fault, not mine_. That led to another thought; if Ben was unwilling to have a civil conversation, then how could anyone get through to him? _Maybe no one can. Maybe the only way to help him is to let him work through his anger on his own. Maybe Ahsoka's right; maybe exiling Ben is the only way._

He forced that thought from his mind. Despite what had just transpired, Luke refused to send his son away. He loved him and would do anything to protect him. There had to be another way, and Luke was determined to find it. Perhaps he would think of it during his trip. He just needed Ahsoka to stay off Ben's back until he returned.

Half an hour later, Luke was fully dressed and ready to start the day, but Ben had not yet emerged from his room. Luke thought nothing of it; the boy probably just needed to blow off steam. Trying to force another conversation out of him would do neither of them any good. Besides, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order had important things to attend to. He needed to explain his plan to the Jedi Council. After that, he had a much more difficult task – explaining it to Don Dain.

* * *

The Jedi Council had listened to Luke's proposal and agreed with minimal protest. Han and Leia Solo had been harder to convince, what with their daughter lying in a coma, but they, too, had been convinced without too much effort. But there was one more person whose approval Luke needed before going to Latru – Don Dain, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Alliance. Dain and the Jedi had a rocky history. Dain was a politician and strategist who viewed the Jedi's insights as no more credible than anyone else's, even though their precognitive abilities made them right more often than other people. This animosity was mostly due to his secret past as an up-and-coming Separatist admiral who had fallen because of Anakin Skywalker. If Luke made a good argument, however, Dain could be reasonable.

The same could not be said for Don's son, Mek Dain. Mek was openly anti-Jedi, believing that they were the source of every problem that had befallen the galaxy ever since the Empire was defeated. Of course, he was not the only person who believed that; although he was the only one who was in a high enough position of power to make things difficult them. Mek was an officer in the Alliance Navy who had risen to become the commander of Coruscant's defenses. The Sith attack on the Jedi Temple last year had landed him in hot water with both his father and the Alliance High Command, and he had managed to take out his anger on the Jedi.

That is why Luke had been dismayed to learn that Mek would be present at his meeting with the chancellor. There was no doubt that Mek would do whatever it took to keep Luke from getting what he wanted. Hopefully, his relationship with his father had degraded enough that Don would ignore his recommendations.

When he entered the chancellor's office, Don was seated behind his desk. Mek stood a couple meters to his right. Luke reached across the desk and shook the three-eyed Gran's gnarled, peach-colored hand. At over eighty years old, Don had outlived the average life expectancy of his species, but his mind was as sharp as ever. "Master Skywalker, how is your niece?"

"It's too soon to tell," Luke replied somberly. "But she's fighting."

"Well, I wish her a full recovery. We have already lost too many good people at Gederon."

"Indeed," agreed Mek, reluctantly shaking Luke's hand as well. "Perhaps if Admiral Mo'Ari hadn't sent his fleet into a trap, that wouldn't be a problem."

Luke frowned. "There is no way Admiral Mo'Ari could have prevented what happened. No one could have known about the _Leviathan_ and its capabilities. He reacted better than anyone else could have, and he saved people because of that."

Don sat down, signaling for the other two men to do the same. "If that's true, I'm sure the tribunal will agree. But it is out of our hands now." After everyone had settled into their chairs, Don continued, "I assume this isn't why you asked to meet with me."

Luke cleared his throat and began his proposal. "We recently learned that Demood Elppirc was born on the planet Latru, and lived there for a year when he was on an assignment as a Jedi Knight. With your permission, I'd like to go there to find information that we can use against Darth Hatus."

Both Dains frowned. Don asked, "Latru? If my memory serves, that world has been abandoned since the Clone Wars."

"It was abandoned by the Republic and Separatists. Its native people still live there. Maybe even some of Elppirc's relatives."

"How do you know all this?"

Warily, Luke answered, "I saw it in a Force vision."

Mek scoffed loudly. "A vision? Do you have any _actual_ evidence?"

Unfortunately, most of the records from the Old Jedi Order had been destroyed during the Emperor's purge. Luke had already searched what was left for any link between Elppirc and Latru. Unsurprisingly, he had found none. In response to Mek's question, he began, "No, but—"

"So, you expect us to let you go to a backwater world based on nothing?"

Don put in, "How do you expect to use information to defeat Hatus?"

"I don't know," Luke responded. "Perhaps he has a secret that we can use to lure him into a trap. Or, maybe there's something that would cause his army to lose faith in him, or even turn against him. We'll know for sure if I find something."

"If?" repeated Don. "Then you don't know if there's anything to find?"

"I believe there is." Luke decided not to explain that this belief was based on the Force. The Dains would not find that to be acceptable reasoning. "I know it's not a lot to go on, but every other lead has gone cold. Right now, this is our only shot at defeating Hatus."

Don nodded his head thoughtfully. That was a good sign. "Be that as it may, our losses at Gederon have left us increasingly vulnerable. Do you really think it's a good idea for the Grand Master of the Jedi Order to leave in the middle of a crisis?"

"The Jedi Council is more than capable of handling things in my absence. If any problems should arise, the Jedi will contact me and I will return immediately."

Mek smiled mockingly. "Oh, I think we can manage without you. Don't you agree, Father?" That was one of the few times he had bothered to disguise his distaste towards the Jedi. Admittedly, Luke found it more unsettling than when Mek openly disliked him.

Don's three eyestalks turned toward his son to glare at him in disapproval. Nevertheless, he replied, "I suppose that's true." Turning back to Luke, he said, "Do you really believe that this could help us win?"

Luke nodded his head. "I do."

After a moment of thought, Don also nodded his head. "Then you have my permission to go to Latru."

Relieved, and a little bit surprised, Luke bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Your Excellency."

Sternly, Don said, "Don't thank me. I don't expect this to work, but I hope it does. We're in a dangerous situation, Master Skywalker, and I am desperate for a way out."

"We all are, Chancellor." With the meeting concluded, all three men stood up. Luke shook each Gran's hand in turn, gauging the younger one's expression as he did so. If Mek disagreed with his father's decision, he did not give any indication. He just continued to give Luke his customary loathsome stare.

* * *

 **If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Tahiri Veila's bare feet plodded across the smooth, clean hospital floor. Aside from leery glances directed her way, no one protested her lack of shoes. After all, many alien species did not wear footwear, mainly because their feet were made to withstand the rough terrain of their native planets. But Tahiri was not an alien; she was human, but she had been raised by Tusken Raiders from the age of three. During that time, she had become accustomed to the hot sands of Tatooine. Six years later, she had been discovered by the Jedi, identified as Force-sensitive, and brought to the Jedi Academy in the jungles of Yavin 4. Even now, in her early thirties, she preferred to go barefoot – partially because she found shoes uncomfortable, partially because she relished the coolness of floors. This choice, along with her slight figure, fair skin, and flowing blond hair, had garnered her fair share of glances wherever she went, but she was used to the harmless staring.

Nowadays, however, there was no harmless staring. Many people recognized her as the former apprentice of Darth Caedus, on whose behalf she had spied, destroyed, and murdered. Even though she had disavowed the Sith Lord prior to his death and been granted a small degree of amnesty for the information she had afterwards provided to the Alliance, she was still shunned by society and prohibited from rejoining the Jedi Order. The latter was fine with her; she did not believe she deserved it, anyway.

A hospital attendant directed her to the room she was looking for. As she walked down the hall, she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to face. Surely, it could not be as bad as some of the other horrors she had experienced.

Tahiri had been captured by the monstrous Yuuzhan Vong at the age of 13, watched them slaughter some of the Younglings at the Jedi Academy, and then been subjugated to "shaping," a brainwashing that tried to turn her into a Vong herself. Thankfully, her longtime friend and eventual love interest, Anakin Solo, intervened before the process could be complete, but not before a Vong persona could be implanted in her brain. This persona nearly took over Tahiri and drove her to the dark side, so she was forced to adopt it as a part of her own persona in order to prevent that from happening.

As horrible as her shaping had been, it was nothing compared to the Mission to Myrkr. Halfway through the Yuuzhan Vong War, she, the Solo children, and a dozen other Jedi were sent on a dangerous mission to destroy the voxyn, deadly reptilian hound-like predators that were being bioengineered specifically to kill Jedi. After being tortured by the Vong, betrayed by fellow Jedi, and injured by voxyn, Tahiri had been forced to watch Anakin sacrifice himself to destroy the lab where the voxyn were being cloned. The worst part was, just moments prior, she had denied him a kiss, saying that there would be plenty of time after the mission.

Tahiri had never forgiven herself for that, nor for never telling Anakin that she had loved him. Years later, Jacen Solo, secretly Darth Caedus, had showed her a Force technique called flow-walking, which allowed her to revisit the moment before Anakin's death and force her younger self to give him that final kiss. Driven by desire, she had quickly become addicted to the experience, and Jacen had promised to teach it to her so that she could see Anakin anytime she wanted to. In return, she had submitted to becoming his Sith apprentice and following his orders.

But it had all been a lie. While flow-walking allowed her to watch past events unfold, she could not actually take part in them. And while she could will her younger self to alter the events, the changes were only in her mind. Tahiri could never change her final encounter with Anakin, could never give him that final kiss, could never tell him how she had felt about him. Jacen had preyed upon her desires and used them to trick her into committing terrible acts. The Jedi Order, for the most part, had forgiven her, but she had never forgiven herself. After Caedus' death, Tahiri had vowed to never again let her emotions drive her actions – especially her feelings toward Anakin.

Finally, she was forced to snap out of her reverie when she arrived at the hospital room she had been directed to. She took a deep breath before entering the room through the open door. Lying in the bed was Jaina Solo. Completely motionless, and with her eyes closed, she appeared to be dead. Her chest did not even rise and fall, indicating that she was not breathing. A respirator had been placed over her nose and mouth, providing a steady flow of oxygen into her body. Her neck was encased in a cast, and bacta patches and purple bruises covered half of her exposed flesh. Her long, flowing hair had been completely shaved, suggesting that she had recently undergone brain surgery. Two blood-filled transparent tubes protruded from her forearms and ended in a steadily beeping machine. Tahiri could not guess the purpose of this machine, although she suspected that it was substituting for some vital function that Jaina's body could not do on its own.

"Tahiri."

The voice nearly made Tahiri jump. She had been so entranced by Jaina's prone form that she had not noticed the other people in the room. Leia Organa-Solo was sitting in a chair, looking in her direction. Han Solo sat next to her, his gaze fixed upon his daughter. When his wife spoke, however, he turned towards Tahiri. Sitting in a third chair was an eleven-year-old girl with fair skin, black hair, and gray eyes. Tahiri recognized her as Amelia Solo, a war orphan who had been adopted by Han and Leia shortly after Jacen's death. She had seen the girl, a Jedi initiate, in the Jedi Temple a few times over the past year. Unbeknownst to Tahiri (and everyone outside of the Skywalker-Solo clan), "Amelia" was actually Allana, the presumed-dead daughter of Jacen Solo and Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo.

Leia stood up and approached Tahiri to hug her. The Solo's had always treated her like she was a member of the family, although she was not entirely sure why. Was it because she actually might have been, had Anakin lived? Or, because she and the Solo children had always been close friends? Or maybe they just pitied her for everything she had been through. Whatever the reason, Tahiri was just glad to have people who loved her. She returned Leia's hug and asked, "How is she?"

Han was the one who answered. "Not good. The doctors said the crash banged her up pretty bad. She's got broken bones, burns, and internal bleeding. Also, she was exposed to the vacuum of space for too long. She nearly froze to death, and everything in her body almost shut down because it wasn't getting any oxygen. And now she's in a coma that she might not wake up from. And even if she does, she might have brain damage! And no one around here seems to have a damn clue what they're doing!" Han's angry voice rose with each sentence.

In sharp contrast to her husband's anger, Leia added calmly, "But she's fighting."

Tahiri nodded her head meekly. _She's fighting. That's what people always say about someone who's dying. They hope that they ll beat the odds and pull through, but it does not always happen._ As much as Tahiri wanted Jaina to survive, she was not ready to believe it just yet.

"What if she doesn't wake up?"

Everyone turned towards the source of the soft voice. Apparently, Amelia was thinking the same thing as Tahiri. Leia held her daughter's hand and said, "She'll wake up."

"But what if she doesn't?"

"She will."

Amelia wrenched her hand away and replied, "Stop saying that. You don't know it's true."

"Hey," Han interjected sharply, "Don't say things like that."

"Why not? Why can't you just admit that she might die?"

"She's _not_ going to die!" exclaimed Han.

The girl matched her father's tone as she yelled, "Just because you don't want her to, doesn't mean she won't!"

At the risk of speaking out-of-place, Tahiri interrupted. "I think she means that we should be prepared in case things don't go the way we want."

Han whirled towards Tahiri and snapped, "Don't go putting ideas like that in her head! The last thing we need is for her to end up…" Han stopped midsentence, like he was afraid of saying something insensitive. Tahiri had a pretty good idea what he was going to say, though. _Depressed. Narcissistic. Broken. Like me._

Han stalked to the window and stared out at the Coruscant skyline. Leia moved towards Tahiri and spoke quietly. "Being a realist isn't always a good thing. If you accept things the way they are, or how they're likely to be, then you'll never believe that things can be better. If everyone had been a realist during the time of the Empire, then the Rebellion never would have happened. The galaxy is a better place because people had hope."

"How does hope help Jaina?" Tahiri asked bitterly. "This isn't something we can fight. It's not going to go away just because we want it to. All hope will do is raise our expectations too high. Jaina could die, and there's nothing we can do to change that. She's not invincible, just like Anakin and Jacen weren't invincible. So, what if she doesn't make it? Are you prepared for that?"

At the mention of her two dead sons, Leia's gentle demeanor melted away. Her brows furrowed, her lips pursed, and her eyes seemed to stare right through Tahiri. In a stone-cold voice, she responded, "If she doesn't make it, then we'll deal with it. As a family." She then about-faced and sat back down in her chair, not taking her eyes off Jaina.

Tahiri's heart sank. She had not meant to hurt Leia's feelings; her frustration had just gotten the better of her. And now she had just alienated the closest thing to a family that she had. She opened her mouth to apologize, but thought better of it. Instead, she left the room and walked back down the hall towards the hospital exit.

Had she waited just a moment longer, however, she would have seen Leia look sympathetically in her direction.

* * *

"Like I already said, I'm going to Latru alone."

"And I think that's a terrible idea," Leia's hologram responded. She was still at the hospital while Luke Skywalker was at home, packing for his trip.

"If the people turn out to be hostile, the last thing I want is for Tahiri to get hurt."

"She can take care of herself," Leia argued. "I understand why you don't want to bring any other Jedi with you, but Tahiri's not a Jedi."

"She used to be. I doubt the people of Latru will make the distinction," Luke pointed out. "Besides, this mission will require diplomacy, which isn't Tahiri's strongsuit."

"Then _you_ handle the diplomacy, and Tahiri can handle…" Leia paused as she chose the appropriate word, "…security." In response to her brother's confused look, she reiterated, "All she would have to do is keep her senses open for trouble. If something does happen, you two can deal with it together. Otherwise, I'm sure she'll stay out of your way."

Luke had not told Leia that their father had murdered King Monad Joisür, so it made no sense the explain to her that he was counting on there being trouble. If he had, she would likely have forbidden him from going to Latru, or else demanded that she accompany him with a diplomatic delegation. He was not as bothered by the idea of Tahiri getting hurt as he was by the idea of her getting hurt because of what his father had done. On the other hand, Leia made some good points. Besides, he knew Tahiri would not care what Anakin Skywalker had done or why people would be attacking her. She would be 100% focused on completing the mission. But Luke still was not sure he should bring her.

Perhaps Leia sensed his uncertainty, for she pleaded gently, "Please, Luke. This is best for both of you. You won't have to fight anyone alone, and Tahiri will have something to distract her from worrying about Jaina."

"Okay," said Luke, not because he completely agreed with Leia, but because he knew she would eventually wear him down until he conceded. "I'll invite Tahiri on the mission."

Leia smiled. "Thank you, Luke. I appreciate you doing this."

"Should I tell her that this was your idea?"

Her smile diminished. After a moment of thought, she answered, "It would probably be best if you didn't. She thinks Han and I are mad at her."

"Are you?"

"No, we're just…. She said some upsetting things that we didn't take as well as we should have. It was all a big misunderstanding. I'm sure we can put it behind us once everyone's had time to cool down."

Luke almost expressed his concern over how Tahiri would react if Jaina died while they were on Latru, but he decided it was better left unsaid. The Solos were not ready to discuss the possibility that Jaina might die. And neither was he, for that matter.

* * *

Tahiri lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Ever since her upsetting conversation with Han and Leia, she had been mentally kicking herself for being so insensitive and trying to think of a way she could salvage her relationship with them. Ultimately, however, she decided that it was too soon and that she should leave the Solos alone. Of course, that had led her to wonder what she would do with her time. What few other friends she had were busy with the war, and she did not particularly enjoy common recreational activities such as shopping, going to concerts, or playing sports. She supposed that she could play computer games, although they tended to get boring very quickly.

The front door chimed, indicating a visitor to Tahiri's quarters. Even though she was not a Jedi, she had been allowed to live in the temple with the people she knew. "Who is it?" she called.

"It's Master Skywalker," a voice answered from the other side.

Standing up, Tahiri replied, "Come in."

The door slid open, allowing Luke to enter. With a faint but friendly smile on his face, he asked, "Is it alright if I talk to you for a moment?"

Tahiri suddenly felt hot. _Did he hear about what I said to Leia? Did she ask him to talk to me? Am I in trouble?_ She considered telling him no – it would not have been the rudest thing she had said that day – but it made more sense to just get it over with, so she nodded her head.

Luke gestured to the small dining table, inviting her to sit down. That could only mean that it would be a long conversation. Once they had both settled into their chairs, the Jedi Master spoke. "Tomorrow, I will be going to a planet called Latru."

"I know," replied Tahiri. Nearly everyone in the Jedi Temple had heard about it. To show how much she knew, she explained, "It's where Darth Hatus was born, and you're looking for clues on how to defeat him." She was not sure how that was relevant to her.

"Yes," Luke confirmed, "And I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me."

Tahiri straightened in surprise. The last thing she had been expecting was to be invited on a mission with the Grand Master himself. It seemed too good to be true. "Why?" she asked.

"Everyone has something going on except you. I figured it would be nice for you to get out of the temple, visit someplace new, and contribute to the war effort."

 _That does sound nice,_ Tahiri thought.

Luke continued, "All you'd have to do is back me up, help me search for clues, and be on the lookout for danger."

Danger. That single word set off alarms in Tahiri's brain. "What kind of danger? Sith?"

"No, I hope not." In a serious tone, he said, "I'm about to tell you something that I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone else." After Tahiri promised to keep his secret, Luke recounted his dream – the _whole_ dream – and what he knew about the current state of Latru. He finished, "After what my father did, I don't expect the people of Latru to be forgiving. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to kill me because of it. If you come with me, they might want to kill you, too. So, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to come. All you have to do is say "no," and that will be the end of it."

Tahiri thought about it for a while. She didn't blame Anakin Skywalker for what he had done – that horrible king had deserved it, in her opinion – but the people who had suffered because of him would not feel the same way. She was inclined to believe that they would almost certainly want revenge, and that Luke would be their target. He was definitely walking into a dangerous situation, and Tahiri did not want him to face it alone. She did not relish the idea of putting herself in that same situation.

Then again, most of the people on Latru were probably too young to remember the Clone Wars and would only hate Luke based on stories they had been told. For that reason, it might not be that different from the animosity she faced every day on Coruscant from people who had only heard of her misdeeds. Surely, she could handle some villagers with primitive weapons. Additionally, as Luke said, this would be a good opportunity to get out and do something useful. She _had_ just been moping about having nothing to do, after all. And she would not have to worry about facing the Solos again.

With her decision made, Tahiri nodded her head and said, "I'd like to go with you."

* * *

The following morning started like any other for Luke. He woke up, ate, showered, and dressed in preparation for a busy day. That is where the similarities ended, for this was the day when he and Tahiri would leave for Latru. By the time he was ready to leave, Ben Skywalker was sitting at the table, eating breakfast. Luke said goodbye to his son, who barely glanced at him in reply. Evidently, he was still upset about the argument they had had the other day. Unwilling to waste time with another fight, Luke wordlessly picked up his suitcase and left the room. _I'll talk to him when I get back._

Next, he went to Han and Leia's apartment to say goodbye – and to wish Jaina a quick recovery. They had told him that Allana was at the Jedi Temple to continue her training, so he went back to find her. He managed to catch her right before a lesson to say a quick goodbye to his niece. He could sense that she did not want him to leave, given the fear and uncertainty that had been spreading since Gederon, although she understood why he had to. _There's so much that she shouldn't be old enough to understand,_ he thought ruefully.

Finally, he went to the temple hanger, where Ahsoka Tano was waiting for him. She had generously volunteered to drive Luke and Tahiri to the private hanger where the _Jade Shadow_ was berthed. Tahiri had not arrived yet, so they waited for her.

After a moment, Ahsoka said, "So, you decided not to go alone after all."

Luke smirked and replied, "Turns out, I'm not as stubborn as people think."

Ahsoka let out a short laugh. "Well, I'm glad you changed your mind. I'm also glad that Tahiri is the one going with you." Ahsoka had always felt sympathetic towards Tahiri, given that they both had experienced life-changing tragedies at similar ages. Ahsoka had been only a teenager when she had fought in the Clone Wars and witnessed the Jedi Purge firsthand. She had barely survived the experience with physical and emotional scars, having lost everyone she had ever cared about. Tahiri's experiences during the Yuuzhan Vong War had had a similar effect, and Ahsoka wanted to help Tahiri find peace, just as she had.

Luke admired Ahsoka for her determination to help people, especially those whom others deemed lost causes. He wished he were that good with people, especially with his son. Ben needed help; in fact, he needed to _understand_ that he needed help. But he was too strong-willed for Luke to contend with. However, maybe Ahsoka… "I spoke to Ben yesterday."

Ahsoka turned towards Luke, her expression conveying interest. "And?"

"He wouldn't listen. The moment I mentioned getting help from you, he got angry. I kept calm, but his temper only got worse. He says that we can never understand what happened on Dromund Kaas, and that talking about it in detail would only make things worse. And then he just stormed out. He's been ignoring me ever since." Luke paused briefly to take a deep breath. "I still don't want to send him away, but I'm worried that we're out of options."

"I understand," Ahsoka said. "While you're gone, I'll try to talk to him. If that doesn't work, I'll give discipline a try. Nothing too serious; just enough to make him understand that his behavior has consequences."

Luke nodded in agreement. "Thank you."

"But if his mood doesn't improve by the time you get back, then we _will_ have a serious discussion about exile."

This time, Luke was less inclined to agree. Despite his misgivings, however, he accepted that it may be the only way. "Agreed."

Thankfully, they did not have to discuss it further. Even as they were finishing the conversation, they could see Tahiri walking towards them, carrying a single suitcase. As usual, she wore a green jumpsuit and no shoes. Luke pointed out to her, "It's wintertime on Latru. It's probably going to be cold."

She nodded her head. "You told me that yesterday, which is why I packed accordingly." She gave her suitcase two tugs upward as she said this.

Ready to go, the three piled into Ahsoka's airspeeder and flew out of the temple. A little over ten minutes later, they arrived at the hanger, where the droid crew had prepped and refueled the _Jade Shadow_. The ship had begun its life as a large, luxurious SoroSuub _Horizon_ -class star yacht, but had been heavily modified during the Yuuzhan Vong War with a hyperdrive, shields, weapons, and defense systems (all military grade). Luke had had his X-Wing fighter moved into the yacht's hanger bay, just in case it came in handy on Latru.

Ahsoka set the speeder down on the platform and let her passengers out. Before they boarded the _Jade Shadow_ , she wished them both good luck. "I hope you find what you're looking for," she said.

"I hope so, too," Luke replied. "Remember, the _Shadow's_ comm system is strong enough to reach Coruscant from Latru, so don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Ahsoka nodded. "The same goes for you." She paused and added, "May the Force be with you."

Luke and Tahiri both returned Ahsoka's farewell and watched her speeder rise into the air and fly back in the direction of the Jedi Temple. Once she was out of sight, they turned around and ascended the _Shadow's_ boarding ramp _._

Luke had not seen his wife's ship since her death, and seeing it now brought a fresh wave of sorrow. As he admired its organic curves, spacious observation deck, and polished interior, he could not help but think of Mara and the many adventures they had shared on this ship. He was not yet ready to sleep in the same bedroom without her, so he placed his suitcase in one of the other bedrooms. He then went into the small cockpit, sat down in the pilot's seat, and began to perform a systems check. Everything worked as quickly and intuitively as he remembered. The only thing that did not feel right was seeing Tahiri sitting next to him instead of Mara.

Luke forced himself to think of anything other than Mara. He was on a mission, and he could not afford to be emotionally compromised. He thought about the New Sith War and the toll it had taken on the galaxy. He thought about the Sith Orb, and how his decision not to destroy it had led to the return of the ancient Sith. He thought about Darth Hatus, who possessed more power than any Sith Lord in history and needed to be stopped. That was the point of this mission. Luke and Tahiri were going to find something that could help defeat him, destroy the Sith, and end the war.

With his mind clear, Luke asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Next to him, Tahiri replied, "Ready."

Luke nodded his head and muttered, "Ready."

After obtaining liftoff clearance from the Coruscant flight control, Luke activated the _Shadow's_ repulsorlifts and felt the ship rise slowly into the air. He pressed a button to retract the landing gear and then fired the engines, sending the ship arcing through the air and into space. Once they had cleared Coruscant's orbit, Luke pulled the hyperdrive lever. The field of stars beyond the viewport elongated into white streaks and was replaced by the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace.

* * *

 **If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Over Coruscant's hundred-millennia history, the planet-wide city had been built upwards. As the newer levels were populated, the lower levels, more commonly known as the Underworld, were gradually abandoned and fell into ruin. Now, there were a total of 5,127 levels, accessible through ventilation shafts large enough for cargo ships to fly through. These shafts were referred to as "Portals to the Underworld." As Mek Dain lowered his airspeeder down one of the shafts, he mentally commented on what a fitting name it was.

Like most of Coruscant's upper class, Mek believed that the Underworld and its inhabitants were the scourge of the planet. The lower levels relied entirely on artificial lighting and stale, recirculated air, and were served by machines that were decades, or even centuries, out-of-date. Most notably, they were a well-known haven for crime syndicates, thugs, thieves, drug dealers, and less savory characters who outnumbered the underequipped security forces. In reality, most of the Underworld's denizens were innocent, law-abiding citizens who could not afford to live in the upper levels and frequently fell prey to the criminals. Mek, of course, ignored these statistics, hoping that someone would gas the lower levels and permanently seal the portals. It was one on a long list of wishes that would not be granted.

He checked the altimeter, which was programmed to list the corresponding level number. He was in the 4,000s, which were considered safe and moderately clean. A minute later, he was in the 3,000s, in which conditions visibly began to deteriorate. Next came the 2,000s, the most dangerous levels. The ship traffic in the portal was thinning significantly, and the lights had become dimmer. Mek was nearing the point few people dared to venture beyond.

Soon, he was in the 1,000s, which had been largely abandoned after the Yuuzhan Vong War. When the Vong conquered Coruscant, they reshaped the planet into the image of their mythical homeworld, Yuuzhan'tar. They had introduced various plants, animals, and fungi from their own galaxy to overtake the blasphemous, manmade cityscape. Most of these life-forms were removed when the Galactic Alliance retook the planet, but the Underworld had been mostly untouched. Illuminated by his speeder's headlights, Mek could see that the wall of the portal was completely covered in exotic Yuuzhan-Vong flora.

And then a digit on the altimeter disappeared. He had descended below Level 1,000, which had been abandoned even before the Vong War; in fact, the Vong had not even bothered to come this deep. Instead of plants, horrid-looking sludge streaked down the wall, left behind by millennia of waste being drained into the portal. Mek was glad his speeder had a sealed canopy, not only because the smell would otherwise have been unbearable, but also because the air was quickly turning toxic. The only living things that could survive down here were mutant creatures too ghastly to even think about.

As the altimeter neared zero, Mek flipped on the speeder's landing lights and increased power to the repulsorlifts, slowing his descent. The speeder came to a hover about a meter above the ground. Mek then began the difficult task of donning his enviro-suit within the confines of the speeder. In hindsight, he should have done this before he left his comfortable apartment (but that would have raised suspicion, of course).

For what must have been the hundredth time that day, Mek asked himself, "Why am I here?" The answer, of course, was that he had been summoned, and it was unwise to ignore a summons from a Sith Lord, even if he would not be there in person. He would not admit it aloud, but Mek liked Darth Hatus even less than he liked Luke Skywalker. He had only agreed to an alliance with the Sith for the promise of destroying the meddlesome Jedi and usurping his ungrateful father.

In that spirit, Mek sealed his helmet, started up his air recycler, opened the cockpit canopy, and exited his speeder. His boots sank in several centimeters of sludge, eliciting a sharp groan. With some difficulty, he pulled his foot out and began walking, using the headlamps on his enviro-suit to light the way. Through the haze of toxic gas rising from the sludge-covered ground, Mek could see the ruins of ancient stone structures from one of Coruscant's earliest civilizations, although he did not care enough about history to pay them any mind. He was more concerned about reaching the excavation site before the meeting began… and before anything noticed his presence.

Fortunately, he did not have to venture far. Within a minute of setting out, Mek could see a light through the rising smoke, and he hurried towards it as fast as he could. The terrain sloped gently upwards until the ground was above the layer of sludge, making it easier for him to walk. After walking several more meters, the smoke cleared, treating him to an eerie sight. He was standing before a massive stone cliff face that extended every which way into the darkness – farther than the range of his helmet lamps. The light he had previously seen came from a series of floodlamps that were illuminating the path in front of him, which led to a cave entrance.

Feeling slightly braver because of the floodlamps, Mek entered the cave. After a walk through a short tunnel, he found himself inside a massive, brightly lit cavern at least a square kilometer in area and about thirty meters in height. The ceiling was supported by several rough-hewn stone pillars that were wider than a Wookiee's arm span. Throughout the cavern, people were standing on floating platforms against the walls and pillars, drilling into the stone with various tools and using suction hoses to collect particulates and transport them to a series of large machines on the floor. The people operating the machines belonged to various species, but a significant portion of them were Sith.

"You won't need that helmet in here," said a voice. Mek turned to face the speaker, a muscular male Sith with short, black hair, who continued, "Our air recyclers have cleaned the air inside the mine."

Mek had not even noticed that he was the only person wearing a breathing helmet. He removed it and set it down on the ground. "General, how is the operation going?"

Vonar Dykes pursed his lips and replied, "Slow."

"I know it's _slow_ ," Mek responded in annoyance. "What I mean is, how close are we to our goal? Are we on schedule?"

Dykes shook his head and began to explain, "We're three da—" He was interrupted by a steady beeping from the nearby holotransmitter. "It's time."

The two men stood in front of the transmitter and answered the call. Immediately, the holograms of five people appeared in front of them. One was a tall man with slicked-back dark hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard wearing a midnight blue cape over dark gray clothes. Another was a large, scar-covered, bald man wearing a black, sleeveless, hooded cloak that left his muscular arms and part of his chest exposed. The third was a freckled, fair-skinned woman with flame-red hair and emerald-green eyes, dressed in a black, form-fitting outfit that left her slender waist, upper arms, and lower thighs exposed. Mek recognized them as Darth Hatus' three Sith apprentices: Sinestro, Masculous, and Volatis. The fourth hologram depicted a man with angular features, thick eyebrows, and a blond moustache wearing a dark gray officer's uniform. He was Moff Hyke, a former Imperial governor who had used his connections to create alliances to build the Sith army.

Hatus himself was also present via hologram, although he looked different than the last time Mek had seen him. His jet-black hair, once short and straight, had been allowed to grow almost to chin-length, and he now sported a thin layer of facial hair. Even his brown eyes, which had always seemed to pierce through Mek, seemed to have lost their sharpness. He wore a black cloak over a simple brown tunic and pants.

"Well?" Hatus asked loudly, "What news?"

"Luke Skywalker has left Coruscant. He's—"

"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up. I can barely hear you."

Mek started again, more loudly this time. "Luke Skywalker has left Coruscant. He's on his way to Latru to look for information about you, Lord Hatus."

If Hatus was surprised by this revelation, he did not show it. Instead, he smiled. "Good. Then the operation can proceed." He turned to General Dykes and asked, "Are we on schedule?"

Dykes shook his head. "No, My Lord. We had an incident last week in which one of our processing machines exploded after some particulates clogged the motor. We repaired the machine, but we are now three days behind schedule."

Volatis shook her head in disappointment. "Don't you realize how dangerous this material is? You could easily blow yourself up with it."

Dykes sneered at her. "Well, I know you wouldn't want that." Volatis returned his sneer.

The two had been at odds ever since the loss of the Sith base on Dromund Kaas. Dykes had overseen the base where over a thousand prisoners were used to assemble weapons, armor, and small vehicles for the Sith army. When the output began to decrease, however, Volatis had been sent to take over until production picked up again. Unbeknownst to them at the time, Ben Skywalker had already infiltrated the base and begun working undercover as a slave. Once this had been discovered, an argument had ensued over whose oversight had allowed the boy to go unnoticed for two whole months.

Ultimately, Hatus and the rest of the Sith Command had chosen to blame Volatis, who had refused his offer to send reinforcements to help capture Skywalker. By underestimating him, she had made it easier for the boy to call in a Jedi attack force to free the prisoners and capture the base. Prior to that, the Sith had been operating in complete secret. But Skywalker's call for help had revealed their existence to the galaxy, ruining their plans for a surprise takeover. All in all, they had lost more than the base that day; they had lost their key advantage to winning the war.

During the battle, Dykes had been captured and brought to Coruscant as a prisoner of war, and Volatis had been killed by Ben Skywalker. Hatus had then used the Sith Orb to resurrect Volatis and had Mek arrange for Dykes to escape from prison. Now, they blamed each other for their disastrous defeat.

"Will you still be able to finish before the day we planned?" asked Sinestro.

"No, My Lord," replied Dykes. "We'll have to postpone the attack until we can—"

"No," interrupted Hatus, sharply and loudly. "We can't postpone the attack. It has to happen on the exact day we planned it."

"My Lord," Dykes protested, "we don't have the means to work any faster. We're already working through the night trying to make up for lost time, and even that isn't enough."

"Then we'll send more workers to help you." Hatus turned to Mek and asked, "How soon can you have the documentation ready for another ship?"

Mek's suppressed the urge to groan. He had already used his position as Commander of the Coruscant Defense Fleet to create fake documentation for Sith-affiliated ships to enter the Galactic capital. He had worked painstakingly to cover his tracks, lest anyone discover his treachery. Certainly, he could do it again, but it meant an inordinate amount of work for him. Hoping to avoid that, he chose not to answer Hatus' question and ask his own instead. "My Lord, surely we can afford to wait just a couple days."

"Speak up, please." Mek repeated his comment more loudly, and Hatus answered, "We can't. I chose this specific day for the attack because it will have the maximum effect on Alliance morale. A day earlier or later, and we will lose that advantage. Now, when can we send more workers?"

Mek did not understand what made the date in question different from any other. It was not a holiday, nor were there any special events planned, that he knew of. He wanted to ask Hatus to explain it to him, but he could tell that the Sith Lord was beginning to lose patience. Instead, he answered the question. "The day after tomorrow."

"Good." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I don't believe we've sent any members of the Lost Tribe to Coruscant yet. Maybe it's time to change that. Lady Volatis, assemble a team, supplies, and a ship, and send the information to Commander Dain."

Volatis bowed her head. "Of course, my master. I promise that I will put the operation back on schedule." She flashed Dykes a small, smug smile. Apparently, she was looking forward to cleaning up another one of his messes.

"Oh, you're not going with them. You will remain on Kesh."

Volatis' smile vanished instantly as anger began to build within her. "You said this would be the decisive victory that ends the war! Your apprentice should be there for it!"

"You're not my only apprentice," Hatus reminded her. "Besides, I need someone I can trust to make sure the Lost Tribe doesn't revolt."

"They could have done that any time over the past six months! You don't seriously expect them to start now!"

Hatus smiled and shrugged. "You can never be too careful."

Dykes made no attempt to hide his pleasure, watching Volatis be chastised by her master. Masculous appeared to be enjoying the show as well. Even the stoic Sinestro had a smirk tugging at his lips. Mek, on the other hand, was not amused by Hatus' mocking innocence or Volatis' unprofessional tantrum. Hyke appeared to feel the same way, judging by the sour look on his face. Then again, he always looked sour – at least whenever Mek saw him.

Volatis had been driven to her boiling point. "You're too much of a coward to admit that you still blame me for Dromund Kaas! You can't keep punishing me forever! If we lose this battle because I wasn't in it, that's on you!"

Everyone froze, suddenly sobered, waiting to see how their master would respond to such blatant disrespect. Hatus' face became so contorted with anger that it appeared to be causing him pain. Mek thought he saw Hatus' eyes glow red, although the natural blue tint of the hologram made it hard to tell. "I _can_ punish you forever, as long as you continue to disrespect me! You should be grateful, you know! When you were killed by Ben Skywalker, I could have let you stay dead. Instead, I chose to bring you back, in hopes that you would still be useful. I'm still waiting to be proven right."

"That's because you haven't given me a _chance_ to prove myself! If you send me to Coruscant, I—"

"Why? So the Skywalker boy can kill you again? I don't think so. You will stay on Kesh. Show me that you can follow my orders, and I will let you rejoin this fight. Is that clear?"

Volatis looked like she wanted to strangle someone with her bare hands. But seeing as everyone present was only a hologram to her, that was impossible. With clenched fists and pursed lips, she replied sourly, "Yes, Master."

The remainder of the meeting was spent locking down the details of the impending attack. After that, the holograms of the four Sith Lords and Moff disappeared, leaving Mek alone with Dykes. He took the opportunity to ask the question he had refrained from asking Hatus. "Why does the attack need to happen on a certain day, and not any other?"

"I have no idea," answered the Sith. "But if I'm working my crew day and night for no good reason…" He decided not to finish that sentence. Instead, he asked a question of his own. "How confident are you that this plan will work?"

Mek rolled his three eyes. "Like I've said before, there is a lot of uncertainty involved. But Lord Hatus says it will work. He's foreseen it, apparently." As someone who did not put stock in the mystical Force, Mek did not see this as a guarantee. But the thought of the reward he would receive from the plan's success outweighed his anxieties. The Jedi Order would crumble, the Galactic Alliance would plunge into chaos, and Mek would finally take his rightful place as supreme commander of the greatest army in the galaxy. Whether that army belonged to the Alliance or the Sith was yet to be seen. Either way, Mek was about to get everything he had ever wanted.

* * *

After the meeting, Darth Hatus returned to his quarters for some much-needed rest. For the past several months, sleep had not come easy to him. This night was not likely to be any different, due to the anticipation he was feeling. With the Sith's ultimate victory only a week away, he suspected that he would simply lie awake imagining what it would be like and what he would do afterwards. He turned out to be wrong, as his recent lack of sleep had added up and quickly forced him into slumber.

It did not last long, however, as he awoke with a splitting headache. If he had not been in too much pain, he would have thought, _No,_ _not again._ He climbed out of bed, clutching his head and groaning from the pain, and trudged over to the wardrobe where his robes were hung. He reached into the pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a glowing, reddish-orange marble. Hatus stared at the tiny object in his hand and shook his head in disbelief. This was all that was left of the Sith Orb. A year ago, it had been a quarter meter in diameter. Now, it had been reduced to a couple centimeters – the result of Hatus gradually infusing the orb into his bloodstream.

The first time he had done it, it had caused an intense psychedelic high that he had quickly become addicted to. On top of that, he found that it made him more powerful. The orb gave its wielder astonishing powers that no Jedi or Sith would be capable of otherwise. Since Hatus had begun infusing it, he found that he could perform these feats without physically needing the orb. He had continued to infuse a little more every night since then for most of the year. It had been shrinking bit by bit, but Hatus barely noticed it. When he finally did, he thought nothing of it.

But then, a few months ago, it finally dawned on him that the orb was shrinking at a much faster pace, and he had resolved to stop before it disappeared completely and left him with nothing to satisfy his cravings for it. But he could not stop, no matter how hard he tried. If he went too long without infusing more of the orb, he went into a form of withdrawal. It began with a headache, much like the one he was suffering though at that moment, then escalated to a stomachache, anxiety, tremors, and then… well, he did not know what came after the tremors. That was as far as he had ever gotten before finally giving in to the cravings.

And those were not the only effects the Sith Orb had on Hatus. He had been hearing voices in his head for the past nine months or so. At first, they had been quiet and intermittent, but, gradually, they became louder and more frequent. They never said anything coherent; they simply moaned and cried and screamed and wailed.

The voices, Hatus assumed, belonged to the souls of the ancient Jedi and Sith trapped within the orb. They had been the unfortunate victims of the Sith's thought bomb during the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, doomed to spend an eternity of suffering within the Sith Orb that had been left behind by the bomb. It was their Force essences that gave Hatus his power, so he could not free them. He could use his power to force them to be quieter for a while, but they could never be completely silenced. They made it difficult for him to hear other people speak, and were also partially responsible for his difficulty sleeping.

Hatus looked appraisingly at what was left of the orb. Did he dare use it again? Perhaps he should wait it out. Maybe the pain would stop after the tremors. He just needed to be patient. _No_ , he thought, _this isn't the time to experiment. I need to be at my best for the coming attack._ Having made his decision, he lay back down in his bed, still holding the orb in one hand.

Hatus dug a fingernail into one of his fingers until he finally punctured the skin. He held the orb against the bleeding wound. Warmth spread throughout his body as the Force energy stored in the orb was pumped through his circulatory system. Everything in his quarters turned red, the voices were momentarily silenced, and Hatus felt his headache disappear. For a few moments, he was calm and happy.

But only for a few moments. The high wore off quickly, and Hatus found himself back in his dull, gray office with nothing but the accursed voices. Despite protests from his fatigued body, he placed the orb (which had visibly shrunk) on his bedside table and drifted off to sleep. Not even the voices would be able to wake him for several more hours.

* * *

 **If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Immediately after the meeting ended, Volatis decided to go for a walk through Tahv, the capital city of the planet Kesh. The city had originally been built by the native Keshiri, with high stone walls to protect the people from Kesh's many dangerous creatures. Then, the Lost Tribe of the Sith, who had crash-landed in the mountains near the city, had been mistaken for gods by the Keshiri. The Sith had then taken over the city and transformed it into a giant, beautiful work of art.

Such is how the city had appeared when Hatus and Volatis had first visited it, nearly half a year ago. Hatus had been disgusted by its beauty, along with the beauty of its inhabitants. He argued that power was the only beauty that mattered. Volatis disagreed with him, although she dared not say it. Instead, she simply admired the colorful paintings, levitating fountains, and glass sculptures.

All of that was falling apart now. Even since Hatus had killed Grand Lord Darish Vol and proclaimed himself ruler of all Sith, he had forced every last member of the Lost Tribe to devote their time and resources to the war effort. As a result, they had not been able to maintain the artwork that made their city beautiful, and the paintings, fountains, and sculptures were beginning to fall into disrepair. The city's inhabitants were clearly disheartened by this, and Volatis had tried to allow them to restore their artwork, but Hatus' quotas had made that impossible.

And that was just one of the things Volatis and her master disagreed on. Their biggest source of contention was, of course, Dromund Kaas. It had been almost a year, and Hatus _still_ insisted on blaming her for a disaster that was clearly not her fault! General Dykes had been in charge when Ben Skywalker had arrived at the base. He had erroneously believed the boy had been just another prisoner attempting to escape, and had even gone so far as to whip him publicly, yet no one had recognized him! Not even the highly Force-attuned Sith Knights had sensed the boy's powers!

After Volatis had arrived, he had never drawn attention to himself again for the next two months, so she had no reason to believe he was _one_ of the _thousands_ of prisoners at that base! Plus, her duties kept her confined to the command tower, so she could not have been expected to interact with any of the slaves, much less Skywalker! Anyone with even an ounce of intelligence should have been smart enough to agree with that!

Unfortunately, her multiple attempts to explain this fell on stupid, deaf ears. She should have expected that from the all-male Sith leadership; afraid their manhood would shrivel up if they admitted their mistakes, so they _naturally_ blame the woman! She had dealt with sexists before when she and her siblings had been living on the streets, but this was different. These men held all the positions of power, so she could not simply thrust her lightsaber between their legs (although that would have been satisfying to watch). The only way she could regain her high standing was to fix everything that had been broken, regardless of whether it was her fault.

Except it was impossible. The base had been destroyed, the prisoners had been freed, and the planet was under constant watch by the Alliance. There was no way any of that could be fixed. However… maybe she could kill the person responsible for their troubles: Ben Skywalker. It would not bring back everything the Sith had lost, but it would at least bring them justice. Plus, he was the son of galaxy-renowned hero and leader of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker. Ben's death alone would be a crippling blow to Luke and, by extension, the entire Jedi Order and Galactic Alliance. Coupled with the attack the Sith were already preparing for, it would all but guarantee the Alliance's ultimate defeat. Yes, killing Ben Skywalker would surely redeem Volatis in the eyes of the Sith.

But how would she do that? Ben was on Coruscant, safe and sound in the impregnable Jedi Temple. Even if Volatis were able to get to him, she was not allowed to; Hatus had forbidden her from leaving Kesh. Of course, there was nothing to stop her from leaving anyway. But, even if she succeeded, Hatus would still punish her for disobeying him. Moreover, Volatis was a clone of Mara Jade Skywalker, the late wife of Luke and mother of Ben. She was sure to be recognized on Coruscant, and then every Jedi on the planet would be after her. As skilled as she was, Volatis knew that fighting a thousand Jedi just to kill one was suicide. No, going to Coruscant was not an option for her. She would have to find another way.

At that moment, the sound of clashing lightsabers interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head towards the source of the sound to see what was causing it. She was standing on a walkway overlooking a courtyard that was popular for sparring in. Several Sith – five humans and two Keshiri, all at least 18 but none older than 25 or so – were engaged in a fierce lightsaber contest. The sabers were set to medium power – not lethal, but still able to inflict serious wounds. Volatis had seen this before; apprentices of the Lost Tribe often dueled each other, both for practice and to be noticed in hopes of advancement within the Sith ranks. Many of the Sith Lords and Ladies were watching the contest raptly. Volatis decided to watch, too, if only to take her mind off Hatus.

Within minutes, one young man was limping out of the courtyard after the tip of one apprentice's lightsaber went through his kneecap, leaving behind a painful, red burn. The lord he approached, likely his master, shook his head in disappointment and stormed off. The remaining six continued to fight each other, weaving their lightsabers to and fro in a beautiful but dangerous dance of red. Volatis was impressed by the skill of the apprentices. The Lost Tribe had obviously trained them well.

The two Keshiri, a male and female, had broken off from the larger fight and were dueling each other. Meanwhile, three of the remaining humans appeared to have ganged up on the fourth and were raining blow after blow upon her. The girl held her own surprisingly well, however, expertly twisting her lithe body to dodge some attacks while batting others aside with her lightsaber. At one point, two of her three attackers had moved far enough apart to create an opening through which the girl somersaulted. After that, she rolled back onto her feet and performed a pirouette to face her opponents.

That was when Volatis saw the girl clearly for the first time. She appeared to be the youngest of the group, with long, light brown hair and fair skin. She had three black tattoos on her face – two thorn-shaped ones running down her cheeks, and a larger one with multiple curves on the left side of her forehead. She wore black, form fitting pants that barely reached above her wide hips, a black leather belt covered in two rows of silver studs, and matching boots with five-centimeter heels. She also wore a black leather jacket that was buttoned only in the middle, exposing her tight stomach and enough cleavage to distract any man or woman who saw her.

While Volatis had been admiring the attractive young woman, the three attackers had been momentarily caught off-guard by her maneuver. The first one to come to his senses held his lightsaber up to one of his fellows' neck, urging her to yield. Knowing she would have been decapitated had it been a real duel, that apprentice begrudgingly left the courtyard. There were now only five apprentices left standing. The male Keshiri and the female human, facing in opposite directions, turned their heads to look at each other and nodded once. They then stood back-to-back, turning in circles to fight the other three apprentices.

The Keshiri boy had skill, but not as much as the human girl. Her reflexes were lightning-fast, allowing her to avoid or deflect every attack that came her way. She had adopted an unusual fighting style, moving her body with each lightsaber swing to give her blade more speed and mobility. This also prevented her from staying still long enough for her opponents to hit her. Volatis was surprised when, during the duel, the girl transferred her lightsaber from her right hand to her left and continued to fight with the same speed and grace, revealing her ambidexterity. After about five seconds, this unexpected change brought about the defeat of the Keshiri girl.

There were only four apprentices left now, and the human girl and Keshiri boy were each fighting one of the other two humans. With the courtyard much emptier than it had been earlier, the girl had apparently decided there was enough room for her to begin fighting with her hands and feet in addition to her saber. While her saber was locked with her opponent's, she used her other hand to punch him in the gut once, then twice. The young man drew back to avoid a third punch that never came, leaving enough room for the girl to perform a high kick to his face. He recovered quickly and began to attack with renewed vigor, intent on finishing off the relentless girl.

But she simply increased the ferocity of her own attacks to match his, alternating between swings, thrusts, parries, punches, slaps, and kicks in no discernable pattern. The young man held his own against each blow, even squeezing in his own attacks that the girl was hard-pressed to defend against. Then, she leapt high into the air, somersaulted, and landed in a sitting position on the man's shoulders with his face buried in her stomach. Unable to see, he flailed awkwardly in an attempt to throw her off, but she clamped her thighs tight against his neck and crossed her legs against his back. Finally, he lost his balance and fell forwards. As the two landed, the girl rolled backwards, still holding onto the man with her legs and using her momentum to throw him over her head.

Unable to recover in time, the apprentice found himself staring down the length of the girl's red lightsaber blade. Tired of fighting, he exhaled and raised his hands in surrender. Having beaten her opponent, the girl looked to the Keshiri boy, who was still struggling against the other apprentice, whose back was turned away from her. With an upward wave of her arm, she used the Force to throw the apprentice at least ten meters into the air. With his limbs flailing, he let out a humorous, high-pitched " _Aaaaiiiigh!_ " as he fell onto the walkway just a few meters from Volatis' feet. This elicited laughter from many of the onlookers.

Now, only the girl and the Keshiri boy were left in the courtyard. Victorious, they approached each other, grinning from ear to ear. The boy spoke first. "That was _oof!_ " His sentence was cut short by a lightning-quick jab to the nose. His hands flew to his face and he fell over backwards, groaning in pain as he landed on the ground. The girl was now the last apprentice standing.

With the contest over, most of the gathered Sith began to disperse, going about their duties or normal routines. Others stayed behind to discuss the fight amongst themselves. Volatis overheard a few of them.

"That's Vestara Khai," one said, "Lady Rhea's apprentice."

"I've been watching her for years. She has always been one of the best in her class."

"She's the first person Ship made contact with when he arrived. Some people think it's a sign that she's destined to be a powerful Sith."

Volatis knew that "Ship" was referring to the ancient Sith Meditation Sphere that had first discovered the Lost Tribe. Not alive, but sentient, Ship's purpose was to serve the Sith in any way it could – as a transport, starfighter, isolation chamber, or advisor, just to name a few. After it had spent some time helping the Lost Tribe prepare for their return to the larger galaxy, it came to the Sith headquarters on Korriban. Upon its arrival, it had spoken telepathically to Hatus first, not because he was their leader, but because Ship had sensed his growing power from across the galaxy. It had viewed Hatus as the most powerful Sith in the galaxy.

Apparently, when Ship first arrived on Kesh, it had spoken to this girl, Vestara Khai, first. If that was true, then it must have thought she was – or would eventually become – the most powerful Sith on Kesh. Given the breadth of Ship's knowledge, this was something to be taken seriously. Having watched the girl fight, Volatis was inclined to agree. In fact, a plan was already beginning to form in her mind. Perhaps she had found a way to eliminate Ben Skywalker without disobeying her master's orders.

* * *

Vestara Khai held out a hand to the Keshiri boy, Ahri Raas, who gratefully accepted it and allowed her to pull him to his feet. Still clutching his bloody nose, he asked, "Why did you do that?"

Vestara answered, "If it had been a real fight, your opponent would have killed you. I was trying to teach you a lesson about letting your guard down."

"I let my guard down because you're my friend, and this was only practice!"

Vestara sighed in exasperation. She and Ahri had been friends since they were ten years old. They had sparred with each other more times than they could count, and Ahri had frequently lost. His skills were almost a match for Vestara's, but he had rarely ever shown it. "That's your problem, Ahri. You always treat it like practice, like your opponent is your friend. But we're at war with the Jedi. We could be called to fight at any time. If you ever fight a Jedi, it will be a _real_ fight with a _real_ enemy. How will you be ready for that if you don't take practice seriously?"

"When the time comes for me to fight a Jedi, I will take that seriously." The boy's eyes shifted to focus on something behind Vestara and he immediately fell to one knee. "Lady Volatis," he addressed. In response, the girl turned around, kneeled, and echoed her friend. Everyone in Tahv knew that Darth Volatis had been ordered to oversee the Lost Tribe on behalf of her master, Darth Hatus. Half of Kesh openly despised her for the changes she had imposed upon them; the other half treated her with deference and only secretly despised her.

"You may rise," said Volatis, and both young adults stood up. To Ahri, she commanded, "Leave us."

Ahri glanced nervously at Vestara, as though afraid that she was about to be punished in some form or other. Vestara doubted this; to the best of her knowledge, she had done nothing that warranted punishment. She gave her friend a reassuring nod, signaling him to leave. With one hand still pinching his nose, he hurried out of the courtyard, leaving Vestara alone with the Sith Lady.

"What is your name?" Volatis asked.

"Vestara Khai," the girl responded automatically, "apprentice to Lady Olaris Rhea." She stood at attention, trying to look as dignified as possible. She watched Volatis closely, searching for some indication of her intentions.

She was looking the girl up and down, as though searching for any imperfection in her appearance. Vestara noticed her eyes focus on her mouth, and she knew that Volatis had found one. There was a small scar at the right corner of her mouth, making it appear as though she were constantly smirking. In a society that valued beauty, that tiny, barely distinguishable scar was considered a degrading flaw. However, none of the boys she had trained with seemed to mind it, and her master, Lady Rhea, had even told her that she liked it. Volatis must not have cared, either, for her eyes barely lingered upon it.

The Sith Lady commented, "That was an impressive display."

For a brief second, pride surged in Vestara, only to be quickly quelled. While she enjoyed the praise, she did not want to appear as though she craved it. At this early point in her life, it was important to let her superiors believe that she was powerful without being a threat to them. The girl responded nonchalantly, "Thank you, My Lady."

Volatis smiled, as though she could see what Vestara was thinking. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I have been training for half my life. I was taught how to use a blade and trained with the other Tyros." A Tyro was the Lost Tribe's equivalent of a Jedi initiate.

"And yet, the other apprentices aren't as skilled as you. What I saw just now wasn't the result of training; it was the result of raw talent and cunning. You're clearly destined to be a great Sith."

This time, Vestara failed to contain her pride. A smile unintentionally broke out across her face, and it took two seconds for her to regain her composure.

Volatis continued, "Tell me, what is your ambition?"

Concern crept into Vestara's mind. Had her emotions betrayed her? Did Volatis now suspect that the girl was a threat to her and the other Sith? Careful not to appear worried, she replied, "To serve the Sith. Enforce order on the galaxy and kill anyone who would invite chaos."

Volatis shook her head. "No, that is what your masters _expect_ of you. What do _you_ want, personally?"

Vestara hesitated, unsure whether she dared speak candidly. If she revealed just how ambitious she was, Volatis might kill her to eliminate any threat she may pose. But, looking at the woman, she could tell that she meant no harm and genuinely wanted an honest answer. Vestara decided that her best course of action was obedience. "I want to be a Sith Master, or even a High Lady. I want to be the embodiment of a perfect Sith. I want to be better than everyone else. Instead of serving the Sith, I want the Sith to serve _me_. I want the entire _galaxy_ to serve me."

For a moment, Vestara feared that she had gone too far, even though every word had been the truth. She loved being a Sith. She loved being beautiful and powerful. The Sith were created to rule the universe and everyone in it. That fact had been ingrained in her mind since before she could even remember, and it was exactly what Vestara wanted more than anything else. But it was not enough to simply rule; she wanted to rule without _being_ ruled. That was the Sith's destiny, but she also wanted it to be her _own_ destiny. And that destiny could not be fulfilled as long as there were so many higher-ranking Sith whom she had to obey.

Volatis' smile widened, but Vestara could not tell if it was out of malice or admiration. "That's a sign of a good Sith – someone who will obey her master but is ambitious enough to want to become the master herself. Perhaps I can help make that happen."

For the first time since Volatis had approached her, Vestara allowed herself to appear surprised. Uncertainly, she said, "I do not understand, My Lady."

"There is a Jedi Knight who recently caused great damage to the Sith Order. He infiltrated one of our bases where our weapons, armor, and equipment are made, sabotaged the facility, and then summoned the Jedi military to destroy it, kill our warriors, and capture the workers." Volatis paused as she worked to contain her rage. "That was how the war began – with an unprovoked attack on a manufacturing facility. We had been operating in secret, building up our strength until we were ready to attack. We had done nothing to the Jedi, yet they attacked us anyway."

Vestara frowned in disgust. Volatis' story was perfectly in line with every story she had heard about the Jedi. They claimed to be wise and peaceful, but they were really warmongers bent on destroying anything that did not agree with their passive, narrowminded ideals. They were liars and cowards who could not comprehend the full power of the Force because they chose to stay in the safety of the light. The Sith, on the other hand, braved the dangers of the dark and refused to balk at the unknown. As a result, they knew more about the Force and the nature of the galaxy. That is why the Sith deserved to rule – and why the Jedi had to be eliminated.

In their isolation, the Lost Tribe had never received any news of the larger galaxy. For five thousand years, they had believed that, in their absence, the Sith had triumphed over the Jedi and fulfilled their destiny. But Ship had shattered those beliefs by telling them how Jedi Master Luke Skywalker had destroyed the Sith and taken the galaxy that was rightfully theirs. Every Sith on Kesh hated him with every fiber of their being. They hated him more than the Jedi Order itself.

Volatis continued, "The Jedi saboteur is Ben Skywalker, son of Luke Skywalker." Vestara felt as though a spark had just gone off in her bloodstream. "Now, he is on Coruscant, being kept safe in the Jedi Temple. As one of our most wanted war criminals, his very survival is a threat to Sith morale. I've been looking for someone to undertake the dangerous mission of killing him. And I believe that person should be you."

Once again, Vestara was surprised, even more so than earlier. Was this real? Was Darth Volatis, one of the highest-ranking Sith in the entire galaxy, really trusting Vestara Khai, a mere apprentice, with killing one of the Sith's greatest enemies? _This has to be a dream,_ she thought. _Any moment now, I'll wake up and realize that none of this is happening._ But she knew that was not the case; this was really happening. After taking a few seconds to recover from the shock, she stammered, "I-I am honored… My Lady. May I ask why you have chosen me?"

Volatis explained, "My siblings and I are too recognizable, and the Red Sith would stick out too much. Only a member of the Lost Tribe would be able to do it. I could have chosen someone of higher rank, but power alone will not be enough. I need someone with a wide variety of skills, who can blend in with the population, improvise, and get close enough to the boy without raising suspicion. Based on what I've seen today, you have all of the traits I'm looking for."

Vestara abandoned all pretense and allowed her excitement to show. "You really think so?"

The girl's joy prompted Volatis to grin broadly in amusement. "I really do. I really believe you have the best chance of completing this mission. If you succeed, I will speak to the Circle of Lords about immediately promoting you to a Saber. After that, who knows? Perhaps your new reputation will put you on the fast track to Sith Lady." She paused to let the weight of that statement sink in, but only briefly. "But you must decide quickly. We have a narrow window of opportunity, and I need an answer today."

Vestara's excitement waned. "Today? But I have responsibilities to the Lost Tribe. And Lady Rhea won't let me go anywhere without her."

Volatis nodded. "There will be a ship leaving the day after tomorrow, carrying members of the Lost Tribe to aid our secret operation on Coruscant. That is our best way to get you there without risking you getting caught by Alliance security. I know it's not ideal, but it's the best we can do under the circumstances. I will speak to Lady Rhea. I'm sure if I tell her how much faith I have in you, she will understand." When Vestara did not immediately respond, she said, "I'll give you time to think on it. Come see me when you've made your decision." With that, she turned around and began to walk away, leaving the girl to her thoughts.

 _I can't believe this is happening! I have a chance to become a Saber, just like Father! I could go down in history as the Sith who killed Ben Skywalker! When the Jedi find their savior murdered in their own sanctuary, they'll know that they have no hope of defeating the Sith. They may even surrender, and the entire galaxy will submit to us._ I _could be the one who finally brings down the Jedi! The Sith would hail me as a hero, and I'd be promoted quicker than anyone else. I could be the youngest member of the Circle of Lords! Maybe, just maybe, I'll one day replace Darth Hatus and rule all Sith!_

Vestara shook herself out of her reverie and grounded herself. All of her hopes depended on how the entire galaxy, Jedi and Sith alike, reacted to Skywalker's death. And, of course, she had to succeed. After all, Ben Skywalker was a Jedi Knight, the equivalent of a Sith Saber. Vestara was only an apprentice, so Ben already had the experience advantage over her. Even if she came up with a foolproof plan to negate his advantage, something could still go wrong. Besides, she would be going to Coruscant, the capital planet of the Jedi. The moment Vestara revealed herself, Ben could bring the entire Jedi Order down on her within minutes.

If she returned to Kesh not having completed her mission, the entire Sith Order would forever see her as a failure. She would bring shame upon not only herself, but also her parents and Lady Rhea. She would eventually become a Saber, but only because her master would no longer want to teach her anymore. And that would be the end of Vestara Khai's career. In fact, she may not even survive the mission. If she died, she would still be remembered for her failure. _At least I wouldn't be around to be punished for it,_ she thought. _I'd never even know what they'd say about me._

As the possibilities of her failure sank in, Vestara began to think that she ought to decline the mission. No one would blame her… she hoped. True, she would not receive all of the glory she hoped for, but she would still be a respected Sith. She could still work her way up through the Sith ranks and eventually become a Sith Lady. But it would take longer, and her chances of one day ruling would be practically none. _Is that really good enough?_ she wondered. _Do I really want to take the safe path?_

 _Of course not! I am a Sith, and Sith_ never _take the easy path! The only way I can rule the Sith is to prove to everyone that I'm worthy. I have to prove that I can kill our greatest enemies, that I'm not afraid of anything, that I am the most powerful Sith in the galaxy._

Vestara leapt from her bench and chased Volatis down. She did not need to speak her answer; the self-assured smile on the Sith Lady's face as she turned around told her that she already knew.

* * *

 **I had so much fun writing this chapter! I reread the entire _Fate of the Jedi_ series just to prepare for Vestara's introduction to the story! I hope I did a good job writing her, because she is going to have a big effect on the story going forward! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The _Jade Shadow's_ navicomputer had calculated a single route to Latru that appeared consistent with the data Luke Skywalker had found on the HoloNet. During the journey through hyperspace, it suddenly occurred to him that the data may no longer be accurate. After all, no one had surveyed the hyperlane since before the Clone Wars, and it was possible that the nascent star cluster surrounding it had shifted during that time. If that were the case, the gravitational anomalies would drag the _Shadow_ out of hyperspace and prevent it from reaching its destination.

Thankfully, the journey turned out to be unremarkable, and the ship safely dropped out of hyperspace just beyond Latru's orbit. Luke had seen the planet before in both his dream and his research, and it appeared very similar in real life. The planet was predominantly blue, being covered by oceans, but there was also a large continent that was green and brown with patches of white, presumably representing snow. Aside from a single moon, there were no satellites orbiting the planet, nor were there any ships visible.

Luke consulted the _Shadow's_ scanners. "I'm only picking up one densely populated area. I'm guessing that's the capital city."

In the copilot's chair, Tahiri Veila asked, "So, what now?"

Luke turned to give her a quizzical look. "We ask for permission to land."

"But you said no one ever comes here. They probably don't have a flight controller or a landing pad or anything, do they?"

Luke conceded the point. "Well, there's only one way to find out." Flipping a switch and turning some dials, he activated the ship's transmitter, aimed it at the capital city, and set it on an open frequency that, hopefully, would be picked up by anyone who happened to be listening. Pressing the "talk" button, he spoke into the intercom. "This is the _Jade Shadow_ , requesting permission to land at the capital city." He waited a few seconds before repeating the message, and then he and Tahiri stared and the intercom speaker, waiting for a response. When they did not hear anything after about thirty seconds, Luke tried again, to no avail.

Tahiri suggested, "Maybe they're ignoring us because they don't want us to land."

Luke replied, "Or, they just don't know how to respond."

"If that's the case, maybe we should just land somewhere and go talk to them in person."

"We're not doing that." Even as he said it, Luke was not sure he meant it. Maybe the Latruans (or whatever they wanted to be called) had no way of responding to their hails, even if they wanted to. Even though it was rude to land somewhere without permission, Luke figured that they may have had no other choice. "Let's wait a few minutes before we decide to do anything." He repeated his message once more and hoped that he would receive a reply.

As it turned out, he only had to wait several seconds.

A human-sounding male voice came over the comm. "Our apologies for the delay, _Jade Shadow_. We do not receive visitors very often." The voice spoke with the same accent as King Monad Joisür in Luke's dream. "What brings you to Latru, may I ask?"

Luke hesitated, unsure of how much information to give away. He could not hesitate too long, however, or else the person he was speaking to would become suspicious. He quickly decided on, "We are searching for information about someone who may have lived here once. We would appreciate any help you could give us." He hoped that that last sentence would adequately convey his desire to cooperate with the locals.

The Latruan did not answer immediately. After a few seconds, he asked, "For whom are you searching?"

Again, Luke hesitated before answering, "Demood Elppirc." He hoped that the man was not offended or frightened by the mention of that name.

The comm was silent for a few more seconds before the response came. "Please state the names and titles of everyone aboard your ship."

Luke and Tahiri exchanged nervous glances. It was most likely that the people of Latru had never heard of them. If they had, however, it could possibly spell trouble. Luke decided to chance it. "There are only two of us. I am Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and with me is Tahiri Veila." He was not sure what title to give Tahiri, so he hoped that the man would not pry further on the subject.

After a brief pause, the Latruan replied, "Please stand by, _Jade Shadow_."

"Stand by?" repeated Tahiri. "That doesn't sound good."

"He's probably just asking for instructions," Luke said.

"Or he could be arranging an ambush or something."

"Let's not jump to conclusions just yet." Once again, Luke did not entirely believe his own words. Even though he did not say it, he agreed with Tahiri. He had been in situations similar to this one countless times before, and in those situations, "stand by" usually led to trouble. It would probably be a good idea, he mused, to be prepared, just in case trouble was about to arise. He turned on the _Jade Shadow's_ navicomputer and began to type.

"What are you doing?" asked Tahiri.

"I'm calculating a hyperspace jump out of here."

"We're leaving? Now? But we just got here."

"No, I just want to be ready to jump in case things go south." In response to Tahiri's concerned expression, he added, "It can't hurt, can it?" After that, they were both silent for a moment, waiting for the Latruan to respond.

Luke was reminded of the mission to Endor, in which he and a rebel strike team landed on the forest moon in a stolen Imperial shuttle. They had waited in orbit for what felt like an eternity, surrounded by Star Destroyers, waiting for permission to land. Luke had sensed Darth Vader's presence aboard the _Executor_ , and Vader had sensed his aboard the shuttle. Luke had been afraid that he had given the rebels away and doomed the mission. Ultimately, they had been allowed to land, but only because Vader had decided that they could be captured later at the Imperial bunker.

Later, aboard the second Death Star, the Emperor had revealed to Luke that he had allowed the rebels to learn the location of the battlestation and its shield generator to lure the entire Rebel Alliance into a trap. The Rebellion would have died that day, had it not been for the skill of its pilots and the surprising aid of the Ewoks. Now, Luke wondered if he and Tahiri were about to fly into a similar trap. Perhaps coming to Latru had been a bad idea, just like everyone on Coruscant had said.

But then, the comm static crackled, and the crisp, accented voice returned. "Thank you for your patience, _Jade Shadow_. There is a plateau about six kilometers east of Gratbür, our capital city. You may land your ship there and wait for an escort to take you to the royal palace for an audience with the King."

Luke frowned in confusion. He had been expecting to land _in_ or _near_ the city. It did not make sense to land so far away. If something were to go wrong, they may not be able to return to the _Shadow_ in time to get medicine, call for help, or simply take off and leave. A concerned glance from Tahiri indicated that she was thinking along the same lines. A sneaky suspicion entered Luke's mind. _Maybe that's why they don't want us to land near the city. Maybe they want to keep us separated from our ship so that it would be harder for us to escape from whatever trap they might set._ While that was a possibility, he preferred not to expect the worst and decided that he should inquire further.

He pressed the comm button and asked, "Forgive me, but why can't we land closer to the city?"

The man replied, "We are aware that it would cause you some inconvenience, and, for that, we apologize. But you must understand; most of the people on this planet have never seen a ship before, and yours will be the only one here. Our concern is that its presence will be too distracting."

 _That makes sense,_ Luke conceded. He had not even considered how the people of Latru might react to the ship. At best, they would be fascinated by it and flock to examine it up close. Then they might get careless and accidentally damage it. At worst, they would view it as a reminder of the war and everything it had taken from them. Then, they might intentionally damage the ship. Perhaps landing farther away was a good idea.

The Latruan continued, "Do not worry. We promise you that your ship will be safe on the plateau. Also, we will provide you with transportation so that you may return whenever you need to."

Tahiri still appeared doubtful, but Luke's concerns had been mostly alleviated. He replied, "Thank you. We are starting our approach." He then took the controls and guided the ship towards the planet.

Tahiri asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Even if they don't plan on attacking us, we should still be closer to the ship."

"I agree. But we can't afford to upset or offend them while we're here. It's just safer to do what they ask."

Tahiri nodded slowly, as though she partially, but not fully, understood. A minute later, she asked, "Didn't you say the royal palace was destroyed?"

"I did." Luke began to nod his head, but paused when he realized the implication of Tahiri's question. He had seen the palace destroyed in his dream, yet the Latruan had just said that they would be taken there. "I guess they rebuilt it." _Or, maybe it was never destroyed in the first place._ If that were the case, it could mean that the events in his dream might not have actually happened. Maybe it had been just a dream, after all. Maybe his father never committed those terrible acts on Latru. But then he remembered the conversation he had had with Ahsoka Tano after the dream, during which she had confirmed the destruction of the palace.

Luke decided not to dwell on that; instead, he focused his attention on flying the _Jade Shadow_ to the capital city, Gratbür. As the ship approached the planet, the city was blocked from view by a large formation of gray clouds. Rather than fly through the clouds and risk damaging the hull, Luke angled the _Shadow_ away from the cloud. Once they had entered the atmosphere, Luke leveled off the ship and flew horizontally beneath the clouds, giving him and Tahiri their first good look at Latru's landscape.

It was a pretty even distribution of mountains, rivers, lakes, and grassy plains. Peppered throughout were farms, although they did not appear very productive. There were no crops, livestock, or machinery visible; just houses and barns. Luke surmised that it was too cold for crops to grow in the winter, and the livestock and machinery were probably being kept in the barns. Even rarer than farms were small towns with fifty or so little wooden houses surrounding larger buildings that could have been general stores.

The _Shadow's_ scanners did not pick up any ships or speeders, although Luke did see small wheeled vehicles driving on dirt roads. Compared to most civilizations he had visited, Latru seemed very poor. He could not help but wonder how large of a factor the Clone Wars had been in that. Had the Republic not abandoned Latru after the war, perhaps the planet would have looked much different. Perhaps if his father had not killed the king and destroyed the palace…

All of his thoughts were chased away by the sight that now greeted him. It was a heavily forested mountain range with snow-capped peaks that were at least a kilometer high. Waterfalls ran down the slopes of the mountains and into a hundred-meter-wide river that ran along the base of the range. It was not straight, however; it ran around and underneath the city of Gratbür.

Luke's research had indicated that the city's population during the Clone Wars had been about ten thousand. But he had been unprepared for how large the city was. Generally, a city with ten thousand people covered only one to two square kilometers, but Gratbür must have covered at least five. Apparently, the city was less dense than Luke had expected. In truth, he had not given much thought to the size or population density. All he had been expecting was a ruin that had been cobbled back together following its destruction during the Clone Wars.

The city was made almost entirely of tan-colored stone – at least, the wall surrounding it was. In most cities Luke had been to, walls were meant to keep people out… or in. Either way, he did not take it as a good sign. Five wide stone arch bridges spanned the river, sloping gently upward to connect the elevated city to the ground below. From his vantage point, Luke was unable to make out the details of the individual buildings that made up the city, although they appeared to be made from the same stone as the wall.

Within a minute of appearing, the city disappeared behind the _Jade Shadow_ as the ship proceeded towards the plateau it had been directed to. It was not that hard to find, as it turned out; it was the only one that showed up on the _Shadow's_ scanners. It jutted out of the side of a mountain and was a little over four meters above the ground. The gentle slope at the base of the mountain served as a ramp leading to the top of the plateau, which was more than large enough to accommodate the _Shadow_. With incredible ease, Luke set the ship down on the plateau and began powering down systems. When that was done, Tahiri went to her quarters to change into a warmer outfit. Luke had already dressed for the cold weather, so he simply put on a heavy coat and gloves and pressed the button to open the exterior hatch.

The moment the seal was broken, a gust of cold air washed over Luke, prompting an involuntary gasp. He was accustomed to warmer weather, having spent the first nineteen years of his life on hot, dry Tatooine. Now he lived on Coruscant, where the reflective metal buildings and climate control kept the surface warm. As such, winter on Latru was too cold for his taste. Of course, it was not nearly as cold as Hoth, but that hardly mattered to Luke. He pressed the button again, and the hatch closed. There was no telling how long it would be until their escort arrived, and Luke decided that he would rather wait inside until they did.

Tahiri came out of her room a moment later, dressed in gray woolens with matching boots, gloves, and a coat. The color of her wardrobe, coupled with her customary emotionless expression, made her look very subdued. Luke thought back to her youth, when she had been a Jedi Initiate. She had been so optimistic, so free-spirited, so energetic. She had been so fascinated by the Force and eager to become a Jedi. Above all, she had been so close to the other Initiates, especially Anakin Solo. From the moment they had met, they had been inseparable. Luke could hardly believe that that girl had become the pragmatic, withdrawn, and depressed woman who now stood before him.

Tahiri, oblivious to Luke's ruminations, looked out the viewport. The expression on her face twisted into one of surprise and confusion, and she said, "I think they're here." Luke followed her gaze and saw three vehicles driving along a dirt road towards them. They appeared to be more of the wheeled vehicles he had seen earlier. As they grew closer, he was able to make out more detail. To his surprise, they looked almost identical to the types of landspeeder that one might find on an Outer Rim world, such as Tatooine. The biggest difference was that they did not hover above the ground. Instead, they were each mounted on four wheels with rubber tires. There were no turbine engines visible, which led Luke to believe that the vehicles were driven by power transferred to the wheels. Their profiles were halfway between sleek and boxy, and their interiors were completely enclosed by tinted canopies, making it difficult to see who was inside.

"Are those speeders?" Tahiri asked, incredulously.

"I guess so," replied Luke.

"But they're on wheels!"

"Speeders used to have wheels," Luke pointed out. _But not in thousands of years. Had the war been so hard on them that they had to resort to such primitive machines?_ "We should probably go greet them."

Luke opened the exterior hatch (bracing himself for the cold) and waited for the boarding ramp to finish lowering before he and Tahiri descended. Once he had been outside for several seconds, Luke realized that it was colder than he had previously thought. Perhaps the wind had something to do with it. The sky was so dark and overcast that it was hard to believe that a sun existed at all. The ground was frozen, the grass brown and brittle beneath Luke's boots. _What a dreary place to live,_ Luke thought.

The "speeders" ground to a halt at the base of the plateau while Luke and Tahiri descended the mountain slope. The canopy on one of the vehicles slowly opened, allowing a man to climb out. The ground crunched as his heavy, dark green boots hit the ground and began to walk forward with a large, quick stride. Tucked into those boots were the thick, olive-green legs of his pants. A holster hung from his waist, but the handle of whatever weapon it contained was covered by a dark green coat. The man's head was covered by a raised hood, goggles, and a scarf, concealing his identity. He approached the two visitors and did not stop until he was less than a meter in front of them. After regarding them for a second with his arms crossed, he lowered his hood, pulled down his scarf, and raised his goggles.

The way the man had dressed and carried himself, Luke was expecting to see sharp, angled features, a severe expression, and piercing eyes. To his surprise, however, this man had none of these. He had freckled skin, very short brown hair, and brown eyes. His face was long, but the features were gentle. His expression was almost blank, except his eyes gazed at Luke and Tahiri with what appeared to be curiosity. And then, he spoke. "Welcome to Latru. I am Captain Yrael Hanoj of His Majesty's Royal Guard."

"Pleased to meet you," responded Luke. He mentally noted that Captain Hanoj spoke with the same accent and timbre as the man who had given the _Shadow_ permission to land. In fact, Luke was pretty sure this _was_ the same man. "I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, and this is Tahiri Veila." Tahiri gave the captain a nod of acknowledgement but remained silent. Luke continued, "Thank you for allowing us to land."

"Of course," replied Hanoj. "The King is looking forward to meeting you." He gestured to the wheeled speeder he had disembarked from. Luke noticed that two more people, dressed similarly to the captain, had emerged from the other speeders and were walking towards them. "We will leave as soon as we have loaded your luggage."

Luke raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Why would we need to bring our luggage? Wouldn't it make more sense to leave them in our quarters?"

Hanoj mirrored his confusion, but only briefly. His eyes suddenly widened in comprehension. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to tell you? The King has offered to let you stay in his palace during your visit."

Luke's eyes widened as well. He had not been expecting to be offered a place to stay. "Oh, that's not necessary. We'll be perfectly fine on our ship."

"Of course, you will," replied Hanoj. "Although, it seems to me, it would be more convenient to stay in the city instead of having to drive back and forth every day. Perhaps you could discuss it with the King when we arrive."

Luke glanced at Tahiri, silently asking for her opinion. She said nothing, but he could feel her suspicion through the Force. Clearly, she was concerned that they would be more vulnerable to an attack if they stayed in the city. Luke wholeheartedly agreed with her. To Hanoj, he said, "It's a kind offer, but I still think we would feel… more comfortable aboard our ship." He was about to say "safer," but he did not want to offend the captain by suggesting that the city was unsafe. "I'm sorry, but we have to decline."

"I understand. I would, too, if I were in your position. However, I think you'll find the King to be… persistent." A small smile tugged at the corner of Hanoj's mouth. Luke could not tell if it was meant to be friendly or malevolent. "We should bring your luggage anyway, just in case. If you somehow change his mind, we can bring it back with you. It would be no trouble at all."

This was beginning to sound less and less like a choice and more and more like a threat. Luke was tempted to get back on the _Shadow_ and take off immediately before anything bad happened. But then he and Tahiri would have to return to Coruscant empty-handed, and the war would continue to turn in the Sith's favor. The fate of the galaxy depended on whatever Luke was meant to find on Latru. Of course, that was assuming there _was_ anything to find. There was no hard evidence – only a Force vision. Luke found himself questioning, not for the first time, whether he had interpreted his vision correctly, or if he was just leading Tahiri on a wild bantha chase.

 _But I have to believe I'm right. If I'm wrong, then we have no way of defeating the Sith. I owe it to the galaxy to try to see this through. Besides, there's no way that vision I had was just a dream; the Force must have been trying to show me something, and Latru must have something to do with it. Why else did I see this place? If I leave before I find what the Force wants me to find, then I'll have blown any chance at victory._ Luke's choice was clear; he had to stay. He had to put his faith in the Force. "All right, then. We'll go get our things."

Tahiri's head whipped around and she fixed Luke with a shocked expression. Clearly, she was not happy about his sudden change of heart.

Captain Hanoj did not notice this – or else, he _pretended_ not to notice this. He simply nodded and said, "Allow us to help you carry them to the speeders."

"We'd appreciate that," replied Luke. "Thank you." He turned and made his way back up the slope, followed closely by a dumbstruck Tahiri and the three Latruans. When they reached the boarding ramp of the _Jade Shadow_ , Luke asked Hanoj and his men to wait there. They agreed without protest. Luke was not sure whether or not that was a good sign.

Tahiri followed Luke up the boarding ramp. Once they were inside the ship, she burst out, "What are you doing?! You're seriously giving in to them?"

In stark contrast to Tahiri's outrage, Luke calmly replied, "We don't want to be rude to our hosts." He did not turn around to face her; he went straight to his cabin to get his suitcase.

She followed him in. "So it's alright for them to be rude to their guests?"

"They're not being rude. They're just offering us a place to stay."

"Which we said 'no' to, but they're still insisting on it!"

 _She has a point._ "That doesn't have to mean anything. Maybe they're just taking their hospitality seriously. Or maybe they just want to keep an eye on us. We're the first offworlders to visit them in decades. It's natural for them to be suspicious. Besides, I don't plan on staying in the king's palace. We'll tell him 'thank you, but we're not interested.' Hopefully, that will be the end of it."

"And what if it isn't?"

Luke froze as he considered it. _What if it isn't? If the king insists on us staying there, and I insist on staying here, what happens? Do I give in? Or do I walk away, whether he likes it or not?_ Neither option sounded desirable. To Tahiri's question, he answered, "It'll have to be."

Once they had collected their suitcases, they disembarked from the _Shadow_ and met Captain Hanoj and his men at the bottom of the ramp. The two men took their suitcases (after some initial hesitation from Tahiri) and carried them to the speeder Hanoj had arrived in. As the luggage was loaded into the cargo compartment, he instructed Luke and Tahiri to sit in the back seat while he climbed into the front-left seat. A woman, dressed similarly to the other Latruans, was already seated behind the controls next to him. The tinted canopy had previously obscured her from view. Luke deduced that there must have been at least one other person in each of the other speeders besides the ones who had helped carry the suitcases. That meant that the king had sent at least six armed soldiers to escort two visitors. Was he expected trouble? If so, Luke wondered whether he should be expecting trouble as well.

The driver pressed a button on the dashboard, and the speeder's engine hummed to life. A moment later, all three vehicles rolled forward and began to drive towards the city of Gratbür. Luke craned his neck around to take one last look at the _Jade Shadow_ as at shrunk from view. As he did so, he could not help but wonder if he would see his wife's ship again – or his son, for that matter.

* * *

 **Welcome to Latru! Some very important events will happen here, so bringing Luke and Tahiri here feels like a big step towards the ending! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

It was one of the most uncomfortable rides in Luke Skywalker's life. The wheeled speeder rocked back and forth as it drove over Latru's uneven terrain. It was almost like riding a lumbering animal, except he was confined in an enclosed space. As the speeder rocked, so did he, often bumping into an equally uncomfortable-looking Tahiri Veila. Captain Yrael Hanoj, on the other hand, appeared unbothered by the speeder's motion. He must have noticed the Jedi's discomfort in the rear-view mirror, for he asked, "Are you feeling alright back there?"

Luke answered, "We're fine, thank you."

That should have been the end of it, but the captain said, "I'm sorry for the discomfort. Unfortunately, we do not have the necessary technology to make our speeders hover. We used to have it imported, but, since the Clone War, we have made do with what we have."

That last sentence sounded innocent, but Luke wondered if it had contained an accusatory undertone. Perhaps Hanoj had meant to say something along the lines of, "We _would_ have hoverspeeders, if your father hadn't killed the king and abandoned us." Luke was not sure; he could not sense any ill will from him through the Force, although that did not necessarily mean there was none.

The three speeders travelled along a dirt road that ran between the river and the base of the mountain range. Luke craned his neck to look through the viewport and up towards the peaks. The mountains appeared much bigger from the ground than they had aboard the _Jade Shadow_. He tried to imagine what it must have been like to stand at the peaks with the entire world below. It must have been cold; even colder than it was on the ground.

"The Beyorran Mountains," explained Hanoj, "The highest peaks on Latru. They have natural metal deposits inside of them, which we have been mining for over a thousand years. Most of the material that was used to build Gratbür came from these mountains."

"How soon until we reach the city?" Tahiri asked suddenly. Luke shot her a disapproving glare, but she did not seem to care that she had interrupted their host. Evidently, she was tired of the captain's small talk.

If Hanoj had been offended, he did not show it. He merely answered, "It should only be a few minutes." After that, he did not resume his monologue about the history of Latru. In fact, he did not say anything at all. Perhaps he had picked up on Tahiri's annoyance after all. And so, the remainder of the ride was governed by uncomfortable silence – until they rounded the bend around one of the mountains and the city of Gratbür came into view.

When they had flown over in the _Jade Shadow_ , Luke had only been able to catch a few fleeting glimpses of the city, giving him an idea of its general appearance. Now, however, he was able to pay closer attention and make out more detail. The five arch bridges were the first to come into view, followed by the tan-colored stone wall that had caught Luke's attention. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the walls of the elevated city were for structural support, rather than security. Buildings could be seen above the lip of the wall, as well as people looking out over the landscape.

This prompted Luke to ask, "Why is the city elevated?"

Captain Hanoj answered, "The city is built atop a series of flat hills. Centuries ago, there were multiple kingdoms at war with each other. One of the kings saw the defensive benefits of the landscape and ordered the city to be built here. The walls were once much taller, but since the wars ended, they now serve only to support the city."

 _I guess that makes sense,_ Luke thought. It certainly made the city sound more hospitable, knowing that they were not trying to keep people out.

"What's underneath the city?" asked Tahiri.

"Nothing of interest," replied the captain. "That is where we generate hydroelectric power from the rivers and waterfalls. We also have the other utility plants and distribution lines, bulk storage, the prison, and other things that aren't open to the general public."

Luke and Tahiri exchanged worried looks at the mention of the prison. If the Latruans turned out to be unfriendly, the Jedi might find themselves there. The relief Luke had felt just a moment prior quickly ebbed.

They and their escorts drove to the nearest bridge. Then, the speeder leaned back slightly as it began to ascend the ramp. For a few moments, nothing could be seen except for the cobblestone road, the snow-topped mountain peaks, and the gray sky. Then, as they leveled out near the end of the bridge, the Jedi were treated to their first up-close look at Gratbür.

Like the bridges, the streets and sidewalks were tan-colored cobblestone, packed together by a darker sedimentary material to create a smooth surface. The buildings were comprised of multiple materials; mainly stone, clay, brick, and wood; with glass windows and sloped, shingled roofs. They were simply but artistically constructed and decorated, making use of stone mosaics, wood carvings, paint in natural colors, and a marriage of straight lines and organic curves. Plots of dirt were scattered throughout the city, sporting trees and bushes. However, because of the cold, there were no leaves on any of them, which made them look dreary. There were also a few grassy parks with more bare trees.

But what surprised Luke most of all were the people. The majority were humans of all races, but there was a considerable number of aliens of varying species. Such diversity was rarely seen on planets as isolated as Latru, which led Luke to wonder if they were all immigrants or descended from immigrants. Everyone wore clothes that were plain, having no fancy embroidery or vibrant colors, but there was a certain elegance in their simplicity.

There were not very many people visible. In fact, Luke thought that the city seemed sparse for its size. _Perhaps most of them have chosen to stay inside because of the cold. Or, perhaps, most of them died during or after the Clone Wars._ Luke remembered from his vision that King Monad Joisür had forced his people to fight the clones – not just soldiers, but ordinary everyday people. Had so many of them died that the planet's population had never recovered? He forced that thought out of his head. _It's only because of the cold._

As they drove through the city, Luke observed everything they passed. They seemed to have been driving along some kind of main street, lined with shops advertising a wide variety of food, housewares, toys, tools, decorations, plants, and more – all handmade or homegrown, apparently. Perhaps, if he had time, Luke would browse the shops to see the goods himself. He imagined that the second floor of each shop was where the shopkeepers lived. That kind of lifestyle was common to cities across the galaxy that were similar to Gratbür. There were also a few small restaurants and inns.

After several minutes, Captain Hanoj announced, "You can see the royal palace directly ahead, now."

Luke turned his attention to the forward windscreen. He half-expected to see the exact same tall, imposing, durasteel-and-aurodium eyesore as he had in his dream. Instead, he saw a building that looked similar to the other buildings in the city, being primarily stone and brick. The main difference was that the palace was considerably larger, although not nearly as large as the original palace. There were three rows of windows set in the faces of the walls, indicating that it was only three stories tall. A prism-shaped, shingled roof nestled within the stone parapets that ran along the top edges of the building. There were four towers – one at each corner – that were five stories tall and topped with cone-shaped, shingled roofs.

A large garden stood in front of the palace, complete with the same bare trees and bushes as Luke had seen throughout the city. The speeders drove onto a driveway that wound around the garden and stopped in front of a flight of stone steps that led up to the front doors. The canopy on Luke and Tahiri's speeder opened, allowing them and Captain Hanoj to climb out. Similarly, guards climbed out of the other speeders and converged to join them at the base of the steps.

Captain Hanoj led Luke and Tahiri up the steps to the double wooden doors set within a large arch. Two guards stood to either side and, as the party approached, grabbed the doors by their handles and pulled them open. The Jedi were then led into the two-story entrance hall. Luke remembered when he – or rather, Anakin – had first entered the palace in his vision. He had had to shield his eyes from the bright glare of all of the shiny objects and surfaces in the entrance hall. As Luke stepped into the hall of the new palace, he was prepared to have to do the same. As it turned out, he did not have to.

Luke was immediately struck by contrast between the exterior and interior. A variety of sculptures, statues, and paintings lined the plastcrete walls. A large chandelier festooned with small, globe-shaped lights hung from the arched ceiling. It was not lit, however, since there was just enough light radiating through the two rows of windows surrounding the front doors. The wooden floor was varnished a dark brown color that complimented the warm gold paint of the walls and the dark purple drapes. The two staircases leading up to the second landing were also made of varnished wood and had elegantly carved banisters.

"Please wait here while I inform the King of your arrival."

Luke had no trouble following Captain Hanoj's latest instruction. He stood frozen in place, his eyes slowly sliding back and forth to take in every detail of the beautiful room. Tahiri appeared similarly moved, which Luke viewed as a feat unto itself. The room's simplicity gave Luke the impression that the designers and architects were gentle and refined. Perhaps these characteristics extended to the new king, as well. For the first time, Luke felt hopeful that this visit may turn out friendly after all.

A moment later, Captain Hanoj returned through a set of double doors opposite the front doors. He announced that the king was ready for them and instructed them to follow him back through the doors. The Jedi found themselves in a large room similar in design to the entrance hall. The walls were lined with tall, stained glass windows, which colorfully depicted objects, people, or events from Latru's history. A glance upward revealed that the skylights were stained glass, as well. Luke tried to imagine what the room would look like with sunlight streaming through the windows. A deep purple rug ran the length or the room, leading to a raised wooden dais. Atop the dais was an aurodium throne, identical to the one that had been in the original palace. In fact, Luke suspected that it was the very same throne upon which King Monad Joisür had sat – and been murdered by Anakin Skywalker. Now, a different person sat upon it.

He was an old man with fair, wrinkled skin; heavy bags underneath his blue eyes; and short, wavy gray hair. He wore a handsome dark blue tunic, black pants and boots, and a dark purple cloak with gold trim. He wore an aurodium crown carved to look like it was on fire and inset with colorful gems. He also carried an aurodium scepter with carved winged lizards entwined around it. Luke recognized both items from his vision; they had belonged to the previous king and, presumably, been inherited by the new king.

The party stopped at the foot of the dais and all of the Latruans bowed. Luke and Tahiri were quick to follow suit. Captain Hanoj turned to the visitors and announced, "Allow me to present His Royal Highness, King Cresta Joisür."

The king smiled brightly at them and spoke in a deep, jubilant voice. "It is an honor to meet you, Master Skywalker and Miss Veila. Welcome to Latru."

Tahiri gave another slight bow and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

It took Luke a moment to remember where he had heard the king's name before. He was the grandson of King Monad Joisür. A feeling of dread filled Luke as he remembered the young boy in his vision – the boy who had seen his grandfather violently murdered by Luke's father, who had hidden cowering beneath the throne as his home collapsed around him.

The boy who was now the old man sitting in front of him.

Luke's hand drifted subconsciously towards the lightsaber dangling from his belt. He half-expected the king to order Captain Hanoj and the other guards to execute him and Tahiri as punishment for Anakin's actions. After all, this was the only person who knew what Anakin had done, and no doubt blamed him for the Republic abandoning Latru after nearly destroying it. Through the Force, Luke conveyed his fears to Tahiri, warning her to be prepared for an ambush.

But, as he did so, he sensed the emotions of the king. To his surprise, he could not detect a trace of fear, anger, or any type of darkness within him. In fact, King Cresta Joisür practically shone with the light side of the Force. It was a kind of light that Luke had never sensed in anyone before; Jedi or otherwise. But what did it mean? Did the king really have no ill will at all towards the Jedi, despite his childhood experience with one? Or was he simply adept at masking it with false, but convincing, benevolence, as Chancellor Palpatine had been?

"Is something wrong, Master Skywalker?" the king asked.

Luke had not realized he had been displaying any emotion. Thinking quickly, he shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I just remembered you… your name being mentioned in my research."

King Joisür let out a surprised laugh. "I cannot imagine where in your research I would have come up. I did not become king until after the Clone War, and no one of note has visited us since then." He leaned forward and added darkly, "I do hope that you have not been spying on me."

"Oh, no, we haven't!" Luke responded quickly. "You were only mentioned as the king's grandson." It was not until after he had spoken that Luke noticed the mischievous twinkle in the king's eye. He had only been joking about being spied upon.

But it was too late to take back his last statement. The king's smile faded, and he nodded his head slowly. "Ah, yes. When my grandfather died, I was his only remaining heir. Thus, the throne was left to me. What was left of it, anyway."

Guilt blossomed within Luke. Cresta had been only a child in his vision. To have been forced to take on such a massive responsibility at such a young age, especially after having lost everything, must have been traumatic. "I'm sorry I mentioned it, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

A small smile tugged at Joisür's mouth. "That's very kind of you to say, Master Skywalker. But, fear not. I have long since accepted my emotions. And, to be honest, I have no memory of that unfortunate day."

Luke failed to hide his surprise. "You don't?"

"Not at all. It must have been too traumatic for my young mind to handle." He frowned, deep in thought. "I remember seeing the Republic troops approaching the city, and suddenly, I am being tended to by a doctor who tells me that my grandfather destroyed his own palace while his entire family was still inside."

Although he pitied the king, Luke also felt a surge of hope. _He doesn't know that my father was responsible. He might not want revenge, after all._ If that were the case, then perhaps the light Luke sensed in him was genuine, although he still could not explain why it was so bright.

Suddenly, King Cresta proclaimed, "But, enough of this dreary talk! You are no doubt exhausted from your journey. We will discuss matters further at dinner. In the meantime, I have already asked Sylas, my butler, to have two rooms prepared for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness," replied Luke, "but that won't be necessary. We can sleep on our ship."

"Oh, come now, it would be more convenient here. You would not have to make two trips every day, and my staff can provide you with whatever you might need."

"That's true, but we would be more comfortable on our ship." _And safer, most likely._

"Yes, I understand. Although I really hope you would consider spending just one night. It will be nightfall soon, and you might just find yourselves at home here. If you do not, then you are welcome to return to your ship."

That sounded reasonable – or, at least, not _un_ reasonable. Still, anything could happen in one night. Luke was tempted to say no, but he did not want to disrespect his host.

Seeing his hesitation, the king added, "We have not had such important guests since the war. This is such a rare and memorable occasion. Please, allow me to show you my full hospitality."

Luke reached out with the Force to try to get a reading on the king. Once again, all he could sense was pure light. Perhaps the king was being sincere. Even if he was not, antagonizing him by refusing his offer would not bode well for the mission. If the Jedi were meant to find something on Latru connected to Darth Hatus, they would undoubtedly need the king's cooperation, if not his help, to find it. Perhaps the best course of action would be to oblige him this request.

Luke turned to Tahiri and asked, "What do you think?"

Tahiri did not answer immediately. Instead, she looked from Luke to the king, back to Luke, and back to the king again. Apparently, she was having a similar debate in her mind and could not decide whether to trust her head or her heart. After a moment, she finally answered, "I guess I'd be okay with that."

Luke nodded his head. "So would I."

"Splendid!" cried the king. "Then I shall have Sylas—Ah, here he is!" A middle-aged bald man entered the throne room from the entrance hall. "Sylas, please escort our guests to their rooms. And have their luggage brought up. Oh, and make sure Chef Phaerron knows to prepare two extra plates for dinner tonight."

"Yes, Your Highness." Sylas looked at the two guests and extended an arm towards the entrance hall. He led them up the stairs to the second floor and down a hallway to two adjacent bedrooms. A moment later, two members of the palace staff brought Luke and Tahiri's luggage to their rooms. Sylas told them that dinner would be ready in a couple hours and that he would fetch them then. He also said that if they needed anything, they could call him using their comlinks. After that, he and the other staff left them alone.

Tahiri followed Luke into his room and pushed the door closed. Instantly, she asked, "Do you think he's telling the truth? About not remembering what your father did?"

Luke shrugged in uncertainty. "You hear stories about people blocking childhood trauma. It's rare, but possible."

"So, he could be lying. Maybe he's waiting for us to lower our guard so he could strike when we're not expecting it."

"I'm not so sure. I didn't sense any anger or hatred in him. In fact, I could only sense light."

"So did I. That's what worries me. Everyone has at least _some_ darkness in them, right? Why couldn't we sense his?"

"I don't know," answered Luke. "Maybe it's so small that the light overpowers it. Maybe he was so happy to see us that the light was stronger than normal."

Frowning suspiciously, Tahiri asked, " _Was_ he happy to see us, though? Or was all that just an act?"

This time, Luke did not answer immediately. "That's a good question." After a moment of thought, he said, "I think he was happy. But that doesn't necessarily mean his reasons for being happy are good. I think it would be a good idea to keep our senses open for trouble."

"Don't worry," replied Tahiri. "I will." She turned around to leave the room and reached for the button on the wall to open the door. Except there was no button. Tahiri looked around in confusion until she saw the curved handle on the door. She grabbed it and pulled, but the door would not budge. "Why won't it open?"

Luke smiled in amusement and suggested, "Try pushing the thing."

Tahiri looked at the handle and noticed a tiny lever just above it. With the index finger of her other hand, she pushed it down, and the door released. It was only as she was passing through to the hallway that she figured out that she could have opened it with only one hand. She scowled at the still-smiling Luke and effortlessly shut the door behind her.

* * *

 **Now you've met King Cresta Joisür, my favorite original character! The question is, is he friend or foe? If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Tahiri Veila looked around her room. Like the rest of the palace she had seen, the room had gold-painted walls with paintings hung upon them, a dark hardwood floor, and drapes flanking the windows. The bedposts, bedside table, and wardrobe were made of wood with decorations and patterns that appeared to have been hand carved. A plush chair was positioned next to one of the windows and a set of wooden shelves. To her surprise, there were actual books on one of the shelves; not datapads that were common on other worlds, but hardbound books with flimsiplast pages. The floor rug, drapes, bedsheets, and chair fabric were all the same dark purple color. Through a wooden door to one side of the room was a small refresher with ceramic fixtures as opposed to metallic.

Everything was very simple compared to their counterparts on other worlds. Nevertheless, Tahiri thought they looked nice. She had never quite gotten comfortable with the cold, gray, sophisticated, durasteel buildings of Coruscant. The warm colors, rudimentary devices, and natural building materials of Gratbür were much more to her taste. She supposed it stemmed from the Tusken lifestyle she had been raised in. As she kicked off her boots and lay down on top of the bed and stared at the white ceiling, she thought, _It would be so nice to live here._

 _Well, here, in this room. Not on this planet._

For one thing, Latru was cold. Growing up on Tatooine, Tahiri was used to hot climates. She did not relish the idea of having to wear heavy clothing on a daily basis. Also, the gray sky and bare trees made the planet very gloomy. It would be very easy to become depressed. _The planet can't_ always _be like this,_ she reminded herself. _It_ is _winter, after all. Maybe it's nicer in the summer._

But she still was not sure what to make of King Cresta Joisür. Yes, he appeared harmless and friendly, but the fact that she could only sense light within him made her suspicious. Tahiri maintained that it was impossible for any person to have that much light in them and no darkness at all. Luke Skywalker had suggested that they just could not sense the darkness because he was in a good mood, but she was skeptical. It seemed more likely to her that the king was somehow able to hide his darkness from them. But that also seemed impossible.

Unless… he could use the dark side of the Force.

The very notion alarmed Tahiri. What if the king was a Sith? What if he was working for Darth Hatus? What if Luke and Tahiri had just walked into a trap?

 _Pull yourself together, Tahiri. You're being paranoid._ She closed her eyes and focused on the calming exercises she had learned as a Jedi. The idea of King Joisür being a Sith was definitely a worst-case scenario. It was highly unlikely that it was actually the case. Still, highly unlikely was not the same as impossible, and Tahiri could not think of any other explanation that made sense.

Luke had told her to keep her senses open for any sign of trouble. If there was even a remote possibility that Cresta Joisür was a Sith, then Tahiri would definitely do so.

* * *

Tahiri spent the next couple of hours looking at some of the books in her room. She read only the introductions and first chapters of each to get a sense of what they were about. They covered a variety of subjects and genres, including history, fantasy, religion, and mystery. At first glance, most of them seemed promising. She noticed an odd pattern in the publishing information, though. Half of the books were first published between fifty and sixty years prior. The ones that were older had all been reprinted within the same time frame. This led Tahiri to wonder if the Clone Wars had seen the destruction of all the books in Gratbür.

Tahiri nearly jumped out of her chair at the sound of three sharp knocks on the door. The voice of Sylas, the butler, muffled by the wood, informed her that dinner was nearly ready. She left the room to find Luke already in the hallway with Sylas, who then proceeded to lead them through the palace. Tahiri made careful note of every turn they made. If, by some chance, they were being led into a trap, she wanted to make sure she knew how to get out of it.

"How long have you served King Joisür?" Luke asked.

Sylas answered, "Almost thirty years."

"Really? You must know him well, then."

"Everyone here does. He loves to talk to people, and the staff are usually the ones on hand for the conversations."

Tahiri cut in, "Does he talk about himself a lot?"

"Not really. Mostly, he just wants to share a story or discuss recent events. He also asks about our personal lives from time to time. He says he wants to know us better, but I think he just wants to avoid talking about himself."

That was suspicious. Someone who did not talk about himself usually had something to hide. "Why?" she asked.

Sylas shrugged. "I suppose it's hard for him to find people who can relate to what he's been through."

"I know the feeling," said Luke. He turned toward Tahiri and added, "We both do."

Tahiri wanted to ask what he meant by that, but not in front of a stranger. That left her to puzzle it out on her own. It did not take her long. Luke must have been referring to her isolating herself from other people. And he was right. She did not like to talk to people about her past, not because it made her sad, but because no one understood what she had been through. The only people she had ever really opened up to were the Solos. Of course, after their last conversation, they were probably no longer an option.

Sylas led Luke and Tahiri to the dining room, which followed the same design aesthetic as the rest of the palace. Tahiri had been expecting a long, rectangular table with the king sitting at the head. She was surprised to find that the table was circular instead, and large enough to sit eight people, although there were presently only six chairs. The room itself was longer than it was wide, suggesting that it could accommodate a longer table, should the need arise.

King Joisür was already sitting in one of the wooden chairs. Sitting to his right were two children: a boy of approximately twelve years, and a girl of eight or nine. Both had moderately brown skin and dark hair. When the girl noticed the two visitors, she suddenly jumped out of her seat and exclaimed, "Hi!" Tahiri recoiled in surprise.

The king chuckled and stood up. "Now, Meilla, do not scare our guests away when they've only just arrived!"

Without taking her eyes off the visitors, the girl, still beaming from ear to ear and twisting her torso from side to side, said, "Yes, grandfather." Tahiri could not help but smile at the eager young girl, which only seemed to make her smile even wider.

The boy, on the other hand, did not seem interested in the newcomers. He simply sat in his chair and stared at the floor as though he were upset about something.

"Ramar!" Cresta snapped. "Where are your manners? Put that down and say hello to our guests!"

The boy reached out from under the table and set an open book on it. He had not been upset; he had simply been reading. Ramar looked at Luke and Tahiri and, with a halfhearted attempt at a smile, said, "Hello."

"You will have to forgive my grandson," Cresta apologized. "I do not know where his head is lately, but it is certainly not on this planet." His frustrated demeanor shifted to one of joy and he gestured to the empty chairs. "Please, sit!"

Tahiri picked the seat next to Meilla, which apparently pleased the young girl. She decided she would rather contend with the girl's overbearing excitement than the king's dramatic joyfulness. Luke sat next to Tahiri, leaving an empty chair between him and Cresta. Regarding the seat, he asked, "Are we expecting someone else?"

Cresta nodded. "My daughter. She should be down momentarily. In the meantime, I believe proper introductions are in order! Ramar, why don't you begin?"

The boy unenthusiastically said, "I'm Ramar Quidden." His voice cracked as he spoke, indicating that he was on the cusp of adolescence.

Her brother had barely finished speaking when the girl piped up, "I'm Meilla Quidden!"

Since she was sitting next to Meilla, Tahiri decided to introduce herself next, followed by Luke.

At the mention of Luke's name, Ramar suddenly perked up. " _You're_ Luke Skywalker? As in, _Jedi Master_ Luke Skywalker?"

Before Luke could answer, Meilla bounced in her seat and asked, "You're a Jedi? Can you do a trick?"

Cresta half-laughed as he exclaimed, "Meilla, that is not polite!" Turning to Luke, he said, "I am terribly sorry about that."

"No, no, it's fine," Luke assured him, smiling. "If it's alright with you, I suppose I could do a trick."

The king extended a hand, palm up. "By all means."

Luke looked down at the plate and silverware in front of him. Slowly, they began to rise into the air, causing Meilla to gasp. Then, the plate began to rotate, and the utensils revolved around it, like oddly shaped planets orbiting a flat star. Tahiri looked at the three Latruans to gauge their reactions. Meilla let out a soft "woah" of fascination and continued to stare, open-mouthed. Ramar's mouth also hung open, though to a lesser extent. It was the most emotion Tahiri had seen out of him thus far.

As for King Joisür, she could not figure out his expression. His mouth remained closed and his smile was fading. Was he not interested in the trick? Did he disapprove of it? Or was he scared of it? Tahiri tried to puzzle it out. Judging by the children's reactions, they had probably never seen the Force used before. But what about the king? Tahiri remembered then that he had, in fact, seen Anakin Skywalker murder his grandfather with it. She wondered if he really did not remember it, as he had claimed earlier.

After a moment, Luke's plate and silverware floated back down to their proper positions on the table. Meilla immediately burst into applause, and her brother and grandfather followed suit, albeit not as enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," said Cresta. "That was most amusing."

 _Really?_ thought Tahiri. _You don't look amused._

The king's eyes flitted upward to focus on something behind the two guests. His face brightened and he exclaimed, "Ah, Mara!"

Luke and Tahiri's heads whipped around so fast that their necks might have snapped. They expected to see the ghost of Mara Jade Skywalker standing behind them. The woman they saw instead was definitely not her. She had short brown hair as opposed to long flaming red, brown eyes instead of green, and her fair skin was free of freckles. Judging by the texture of her skin, Tahiri guessed that she was close to fifty years old – about ten years younger than Mara would have been, were she still alive.

From behind her, she heard Cresta say, "So glad you could join us. Mara, these are our guests."

So, they had not misheard him. This woman really was named Mara. Tahiri was shocked by the coincidence. She turned to Luke and saw that he appeared just as stunned as she did – perhaps even more so. That was understandable. If a man had come up to her introducing himself as Anakin…. She could not even imagine how she would feel.

The woman walked towards Tahiri and extended her right hand. With a gentle smile, she introduced herself. "Mara Quidden."

Tahiri stood up and shook her hand. "Tahiri Veila." She did not smile back; she was still processing her shock.

Mara then moved onto Luke, who shook her hand and introduced himself in a faraway voice. In response, her smile faded and she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Luke shook his head quickly without breaking eye contact. "No, no. I'm sorry, it's just… my wife's name was Mara. She died a few years ago."

Mara's eyebrows raised and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. If you'd like, you can call me something else."

"No, it's fine. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just surprised."

"I understand." She hesitated before adding, "I lost my husband a few years ago, as well. So, I know what you're going through."

"Well, now _I'm_ sorry to hear that," said Luke.

Mara gave a faint smile as she replied, "Thank you." She sat down in the only empty chair at the table – the one between Luke and Cresta.

For a few moments, everyone was silent, their spirits dampened by the mention of their lost family members. Then, a trio of servers entered the room through a swinging double door, each carrying a platter in each hand. They set down one platter in front of each person at the table. Tahiri scrutinized the food with an incredulous frown. There was some kind of purple meat covered in an orange sauce, served with seasoned blue tuberous vegetables, yellow beans oozing with juice, pale green bread, and pink tea. She had never seen food like this before anywhere in the galaxy.

Once everyone had been served, Cresta proclaimed, "This all looks marvelous! Do pass my compliments on to Chef Phaerron."

One of the servers bowed. "We shall, Your Majesty. As always." He and the other two servers left the dining room through the same doors through which they had entered.

The king smiled at everyone seated and said, "We are truly blessed to be together, surrounded by family and friends. Now, let us partake of our world's bounty and give thanks to all whose teamwork brought it to our table."

The four Latruans then picked up their cutlery and began to eat. The two visitors took that as their que to begin eating, as well. Tahiri cut off a slice of the purple meat and held it up to her eyes, turning the fork so that she could examine the food from all angles. She was hesitant to eat something that looked so alien to her. She wondered if it was harmful. However, the others were eating it, so she supposed it must have been okay. She stuck the meat in her mouth and began to chew.

It was delicious – better than anything she normally ate on Coruscant. She took another bite, just to make sure her taste buds were not deceiving her. As it turned out, they had; it was even tastier than the first bite! Throwing caution to the wind, she helped herself to the other food, which proved just as amazing.

Luke must have been of the same mind, for he remarked, "This is delicious."

"Why, thank you, Master Skywalker," responded Cresta jovially. "We have always prided ourselves on the quality of our food. It all stems from the nutrients in our soil. Of course, it helps that we take great care to nurture our crops and livestock. We were once galaxy-renowned for our culinary exports."

Tahiri remembered Luke telling her something along those lines before they arrived. Tasting the food herself, she now understood why the Republic had been willing to invade this planet to keep it out of Separatist hands. Then, she remembered something else that prompted her to ask, "I thought your crops were destroyed during the Clone Wars."

The king nodded. "Most of them were, but enough survived that we were able to regrow it all from seedlings. The hard part was making the land farmable again. We probably turned over every square meter on the continent until the unhealthy soil had been banished."

"It was well worth it," said Mara. "Our planet was on the brink of starvation when the crops began to grow again. People were losing hope, and everyone was so excited to suddenly get it back. Now, we have food that we all can enjoy." She looked at Meilla and added, " _Most_ of us, at least."

"I like the food!" the girl pouted. "I just don't like yira beans. Or junovos." She pushed the vegetables on her plate away from the meat.

"I've actually been wondering," said Luke. "How did one fire destroy every crop on the planet. Most of the crops, I mean," he corrected.

"Well," Cresta began, "the truth is, the vast majority of our farmable land is part of one, enormous plot in the middle of the continent. It is so large, that it could provide enough food to keep our kingdom fed for three years. Unfortunately, this centralization proved to be our undoing. When the fire started, it spread quickly, consuming everything. We were forced to rely on outlying farms scattered across the land in order to feed everyone. But, fear not! We have learned our lesson. All of our crops are adequately separated, and we have emergency measures in place to quickly quench any fires."

Luke nodded thoughtfully. "And the city? You rebuilt everything yourself?"

"Not by myself, of course!" Cresta laughed. "That would have taken me several lifetimes!" When nobody else laughed at his joke, he cleared his throat and continued more seriously, "Yes, we rebuilt everything ourselves. Goodness knows, it took more than a decade, and there were severe doubts that we would succeed. We could not have the material imported, as we once did, so we spent years producing it ourselves. Every brick, stone, beam, and pane of glass was mined or milled from our own natural resources, and then formed by hand. Without technology from other worlds, we invented our own substitutions. The wheeled speeders you arrived in, for example."

"I'm sure that must have made your lives harder." Tahiri heard the guilt in Luke's voice and wondered if anyone else at the table heard it as well.

Apparently oblivious, Cresta continued, "Well, that is not a bad thing, is it now? When you work harder for something, you appreciate it more. The less we take for granted, the better we become, wouldn't you agree?"

Tahiri thought about it for a moment. She had never had to perform much hard labor in her lifetime, so she could not say whether the king was correct. However, she conceded that she appreciated the abundance of technology that had always been available to her. It certainly made her life easier. But did it make her happier? After puzzling over it for too long without arriving at an answer, she decided to ask a question that could help her decide once and for all whether she and Luke were really in danger. "Aren't you angry at the Republic for almost destroying everything?"

Everyone stopped eating and looked at Tahiri with expressions of… surprise? Annoyance? Anger? She could not tell. The best word she could use describe them was "uncomfortable." Only Luke's expression was readable. His frown indicated that he disapproved of her blunt question, but his eyes conveyed his concern over what the answer might be.

Cresta locked eyes with her, betraying no hint of his emotions. He seemed to have been studying her, as though trying to learn as much as he could about her. Tahiri's earlier suspicion that the king might be able to use the dark side returned to the forefront of her mind. If that were true, then he could, in fact, be plunging the depths of her soul for all of the dark memories and emotions she fought to keep in check. The idea of such an invasion of privacy unsettled her so much that she tore her eyes away from his. She regretted the action immediately; everyone else at the table might think she had done it out of shame for asking an insensitive question, but the king might know that she was suspicious of him. If she and Luke were not already in danger, then she may have just put them in danger herself.

With a subdued expression on his face, Cresta answered, "For a long time, I was. Not just at the Republic; but at the entire galaxy as well. I was angry that they had caused so much death and destruction, and then abandoned us to our own devices. I thought they must not have cared whether we lived or died, and most of my people felt the same way. I wanted nothing more than for the entire galaxy to suffer for what it had done to us. I wanted to vent my frustrations to the rest of the galaxy, but it was too far beyond my reach."

Tahiri felt the blood begin to drain from her face. Her suspicions had been correct; the king _did_ want revenge. She suddenly wished she had not left her lightsaber in her room.

But then Cresta smiled serenely and continued, "So, one day, I asked myself, 'Would I rather spend the rest of my life filled with anger that I can never release, or let that anger die out by forgiving those who had wronged me?' The choice was easy; I had let anger define me for too long, and I did not want to live that way any longer."

It was the most shocking thing Tahiri had heard in years. She replayed the king's words in her head, thinking she must have misunderstood them. It sounded as though he had just said he had _forgiven_ the galaxy. He had _forgiven_ the destruction of his home, the deaths of his family, and his abandonment by the people responsible for it all. How could that be so?

Luke must have been wondering the same thing, for he asked, "So you just forgave them? After everything they did to you? How?"

"Well, I told myself that they must have had legitimate reasons. Besides, the Republic was not entirely at fault; my grandfather made the situation worse than it needed to be. He was just as responsible as anyone else."

Everyone was surprised when Ramar was the next to speak. "But the Republic attacked us in the first place, and then they abandoned us. They didn't deserve your forgiveness."

Cresta turned to his grandson and said, "Perhaps not. But it is not up to any one person to decide who deserves what. In any case, people don't always get what they deserve. That makes forgiveness all the more difficult. But I promise you it is well worth it." Addressing the entire room, he said, "Once I discovered that, it changed my entire outlook on life. The dark curtain rolled back, and I saw everything with newfound clarity. Not everything was as dark and sinister as I had thought. I could see that there was still hope and beauty in the world. And so, I seized upon it and used it to lead my people from ruin to prosperity. That is when I truly felt that I deserved to be king."

"Is that why you're so happy all the time?" asked Meilla. Unsure of what she meant, everyone gave her inquisitive looks, silently asking her to elaborate. It took a few seconds for her to catch on. "Oh! I mean, are you always happy because being happy helps you?"

Cresta smiled. "Yes, indeed. I have found that optimism, in even the darkest times, lets you find the light once more. It is how I rebuilt this kingdom, and it is how I continue to uphold it. But that is not the only reason. Your attitude determines how people will respond to you. If you are constantly dour, everyone you encounter is certain to feel dour as well. If you are kind and polite and good-humored, others are more likely to feel comfortable around you."

Tahiri did not agree with this statement. In her opinion, being optimistic all the time meant turning a blind eye to reality. The galaxy was full of evil that had no qualms about hurting people who were good or innocent. She had seen that firsthand, too many times to count. The Yuuzhan Vong had thoughtlessly killed hundreds of trillions of people simply because their religion had demanded it. And that was only one example of how the universe was unkind to the people who lived in it. Being optimistic did not protect anyone; it only gave them a false sense of security. Plus, it tended to be so irritating that it drove other people away.

That is exactly how Tahiri felt about King Joisür.

To her astonishment, Luke said, "That's very wise of you, Your Highness. The rest of the galaxy could use more of your optimism." Tahiri could not believe he had just said that. Luke, of all people, should agree with her point of view. "A lot of bad things have happened recently, and it's hard for people to find hope."

Cresta nodded. "From what I've heard, a lot of bad things have happened over the past couple decades."

In perfect unison, Luke and Tahiri's heads jerked sharply in the direction of the king, eyes wide. Luke asked, "You know about what's been going on?"

"Oh yes," Cresta replied, apparently oblivious to their shock. "There's an old subspace transceiver just beyond our planetary system that still receives holonet signals. We get news from time to time, and I like to keep informed of events in the larger galaxy, in case it should affect us."

"Then you know about the Sith?"

"Not as much as I'd like. The news on that front has been rather vague. From what I understand, the Sith have built an army and are intent on conquering the galaxy. To be honest, they don't sound much different from the other enemies you have faced. The Separatists, the Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong – it seems that they all wanted the same thing."

Tahiri failed to restrain herself. "Then you know nothing about them," she snapped. All eyes turned to her in response to her outburst. Luke stared at her as though baffled by her behavior. But she would not apologize. The king lived on his own private world, separate from the rest of the galaxy and safe from its evil. He truly did know nothing about these terrible groups. So how dare he speak of them so passively!

Luke returned his attention to Cresta and said, "Actually, the Sith are unlike anyone we've ever faced. They are all Force-sensitive to varying degrees, which makes them harder to fight. We've faced one or two Force-users at a time in the past, but never anywhere near this many. So far, we've managed to hold them off, but they're starting to win more and more battles. We need to find a way to stop them quickly. That's actually why we've come to Latru."

Cresta raised an eyebrow. "Captain Hanoj told me that you were looking for information about Demood Elppirc. Is he involved in some way?"

"Yes," answered Luke. "He's Darth Hatus, the ruler of the Sith."

For the first time since the Jedi had met him, King Joisür looked scared. But of what? He stammered, "I-I do not understand. Surely he must be dead."

"He should be. Long story short, he has an ancient Sith artifact that gives him power, and he used that power to rejuvenate himself. He also used it to raise an army of Sith."

Cresta stared open-mouthed first at Luke, and then past his plate, as though he were deep in thought. His gaze then drifted to each of his family members, in turn. They all looked back at him with concerned expressions. Finally, he turned back to Luke and said, "I know Demood Elppirc visited Latru once, but that was many years before I was even born. What information do you expect to find?"

Luke was visibly uncomfortable. Clearly, he did not relish the prospect of having to explain his dream, or that the Force told him to come to Latru. After clearing his throat, he spoke slowly, as though carefully choosing his words before he said them. "We don't know. I just believe that there's something here that the Force wants us to find. I'm sorry, I can't explain it any better than that."

For a moment, everyone was silent. The king continued to stare at Luke. It appeared to Tahiri that he was studying him the same way he had studied her just a few moments prior. Perhaps he was trying to decide if Luke was lying to him. Perhaps he already knew Luke was lying and was trying to figure out the truth. Or, perhaps he was using the Force to read Luke's mind. Tahiri was not ready to discount that theory.

Then Cresta nodded and said, "Then I shall help you in any way that I can. Tonight, I will search our records for information about Demood Elppirc and give it to you tomorrow. Although I cannot promise that it will amount to anything."

Luke nodded his head once. "I appreciate your help, Your Highness. The sooner we find what we're looking for, the sooner we'll be out of your hair."

Cresta gave an expression of mock offense. "Are you so eager to leave? Do you not like it here?"

 _No,_ Tahiri thought bitterly.

"Yes," Luke answered, "It's very nice here. We just don't want to overstay our welcome."

"What nonsense! We would be happy to have you stay for as long as you please."

"Yes!" exclaimed Meilla. "You have to stay for the winter festival next week!"

"What's the winter festival?" asked Luke.

"It's the most important holiday ever! There will be pretty lights, presents, and a party! You have to be there!" She offered no further explanation than that.

Mara clarified, "It happens on the last day of every year. It's a celebration of everything we have accomplished over the past year. It's also an opportunity to meet new people or reconnect with people we don't often get to see. People from all over the kingdom will be coming to Gratbür to sell the crops they've grown, livestock they've raised, artwork they've made, books they've written, or anything else they've made this year. There will be stalls throughout the city where people can buy things. There will also be games, contests, musicians, dancers, and plays. In the evening, people get together to have dinner or attend parties with their family or friends. And the king hosts a grand feast here in the palace, with lots of food and entertainment."

Tahiri had to admit that this winter festival sounded wonderful, and she was sorely tempted to see it. But her suspicion towards King Joisür outweighed her desire to see the festival. The longer she and Luke stayed on Latru, the longer they could be in danger. Besides, a festival sounded like the ideal opportunity for an attack; there would be large crowds for the attackers to blend into, entertainment to keep everyone distracted, food and drink that someone could easily slip poison into, and so much activity that it would be hard to sense if a person posed a threat. The more Tahiri thought about it, the less appealing the festival sounded.

Luke smiled and said, "Well, that all sounds great. But we really shouldn't be wasting time. Our mission is too important."

"Oh, come now!" exclaimed Cresta. "Surely you can spare a few days. Your devotion to your duties is admirable, but you must allow yourself to take a break and have fun once in a while! How often do you get the chance to attend a festival such as ours?"

"Not very often," Luke confessed. He stared downward, deep in thought. "It _would_ be a nice change of pace. And it would be a good opportunity to learn more about Latru." He paused for a moment before adding, "Maybe the Jedi could do without us for a few more days. What do you think, Tahiri? Would you like to stay for the festival?"

Tahiri's jaw dropped briefly in surprise. She had not been expecting Luke to put her on the spot like that. And she did not appreciate it. She wanted to say no, but that would give the king more reason to be suspicious of her. But if she said yes, she would be gambling with her and Luke's lives. How could he pin such a major decision on her? Now everyone at the table was looking at her, waiting for an answer. She felt the need to say something to keep them at bay. "Well, I don't know…"

"Oh, please?" asked Meilla, clasping her hands together and trying to look as though she was going to cry. "Pleeeeeeeeease?" This elicited smiles from most of the people at the table.

Tahiri turned to Luke, projecting her uncertainty through the Force. She hoped that he would pick up on it and help her with her decision. Instead, he projected confidence back to her, as though saying he was happy either way and it was completely up to her. At first, she silently cursed him for putting her in this position and wondered why he could not decide himself. But then it hit her; he had already made his decision, but he did not want to force Tahiri to adhere to it.

Luke must have known that Tahiri did not want to stay for the festival. If he had not wanted to stay either, he would have just said so. His silence, therefore, told her that he _did_ want to stay, but he also wanted to respect her wishes. He was asking her for _permission_ to stay. Tahiri was moved by how considerate he was being in that moment. Few people showed her that level of kindness anymore. So, she decided to return his kindness and give him what he wanted.

"Yes," she answered, "we'd be happy to stay for the festival."

"Yay!" cheered Meilla.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Cresta, smiling broadly. "We are honored to have you join us! Now, I think we have had enough conversation tonight; it would be a shame to let this dinner go cold!"

Everyone continued eating without another word for the rest of the meal. Tahiri was grateful for the silence. It allowed her to think more clearly. King Joisür seemed like a genuinely nice person – too nice, in her opinion. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Tahiri could not shake the feeling that she and Luke were in danger. She wondered if she was being paranoid. Perhaps Jacen Solo's betrayal was clouding her judgement. Besides, Luke seemed to trust the king, and she trusted Luke.

But Luke had been wrong before, and the results had sometimes been catastrophic.

* * *

 **This was an interesting chapter to write. There was a lot of information that I wanted to convey, and hitting all of those beats while making the dialogue flow in a natural way took a lot of planning. I could have spread it out over future chapters, but I felt it was important to get certain things out of the way quickly. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

The bartender placed the bottle of ale on the counter and scooped up the credit ingot that had been left for him. Ben Skywalker sat on the barstool, staring fixedly at one of the holoscreens above the bar and began to drink. Most of the other bar patrons were rowdily cheering on their favorite team for whichever sport they happened to be watching, but Ben was silent. He did not care what he was watching, or which team won; he came to this bar simply to get away from his life.

He had pointedly avoided saying goodbye to Luke Skywalker before he left for Latru because he did not want to have to repeat their last conversation. His father would have undoubtedly tried once again to boss him around, as if unaware that Ben was no longer a child. Besides, Ben still had not forgiven him for suggesting that he was turning to the dark side. How could he even think that? After what it had done to Jacen Solo? After what the Sith did on Dromund Kaas? Luke should have known better than to think Ben would go down that same path.

Still, he supposed his father had good reason to be worried. Ben had been presumed dead for two months, which could only have been terrible for Luke. He just wanted to make sure nothing else bad happened to his son. And he was right about one thing: Ben had become emotionally distant after what happened on Dromund Kaas. He needed to talk about it with someone, but he could not bear the pain that came with it.

With that in mind, Ben felt a little guilty for giving Luke the silent treatment. But only a little.

He took another swig of ale and allowed the drink to work its meager magic on his frustration. He wished he could have ordered something with more alcohol in it, but he needed to be sober enough to find Jaina Solo's room at the hospital. He, Han, and Leia, sometimes accompanied by Allana, were taking turns sitting with her so that she would not be alone. Ben did not see the point. Jaina could not tell if she was alone – she was in a coma, after all – but Leia had insisted that she could still sense their presence through the Force.

Ben checked his chrono; he was scheduled to relieve Han in about fifteen minutes. He would have to leave soon in order to arrive on time. He set his empty bottle on the counter and left the bar to join the throng of people crowding Coruscant's streets. As always, the city was so packed that it was difficult to go anywhere without accidentally bumping into someone. As he made his way towards the nearest air taxi landing pad, Ben made note of the people he passed. After the Sith had sent droids to attack the Jedi Temple the previous year, the Jedi were encouraged to be on the lookout for Sith infiltrators on Coruscant. But Ben had not seen any Sith since his rescue from Dromund Kaas, nor had he seen anyone who may have been working with the Sith – at least, he did not think so.

The problem with Coruscant is that it was a melting pot for all kinds of people, some of whom had less-than-admirable intentions. Not treason, usually; mostly it was just spice, petty theft, or muggings. And while it was possible for Jedi to sense a wrongdoer through their emotions, the Force rarely told exactly what a person was guilty of. So, someone who was looking to sell some spice could register the same as a practiced murder preparing to claim another victim. Plus, in a crowded area, it was difficult to get a substantial read on everyone. Therefore, it was almost impossible to detect Sith agents on Coruscant, so attempting to do so was futile. Still, Ben kept his senses open for any hint of treason. But all he could sense was bland. Bland, bland, bland…

He froze as something else entered his periphery. It was not dark or dangerous, though; it was bright and beautiful. It was something Ben was familiar with but had not sensed in almost a year. _Could it be?_ he wondered. He turned around in circles, scanning the crowd for the person he was hoping to find. Once, he thought he saw her, but it turned out to be someone else. He was just about to give up, conceding that perhaps he had been mistaken.

And then he saw her – a young woman with olive skin and straight golden-brown hair. She was leaving a market, carrying four bags of groceries, and heading towards the landing pad. As Ben watched her, she appeared to walk in slow motion. She was even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. In fact, he wondered briefly if it was really her. But when her green eyes locked with his, all doubts were cast from his mind. "Nysilla!"

Nysilla Zabeth stared at Ben for a second, her expression conveying disbelief. After a second, she slowly began to smile. "Ben!" They walked towards each other, stopping about a meter apart. Ben extended his arms, prepared to hug his friend, but she did not return the gesture. This concerned him briefly until he noticed that she was still holding her grocery bags, which would have made hugging him difficult. She could have put the bags down, but Ben figured she must not have wanted to risk them getting stolen off the ground. Nysilla said, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too." Even as he returned the greeting, Ben had the feeling that Nysilla had not entirely meant it. She was smiling with her mouth, but not with her eyes, which made her look rather awkward. It must have had something to do with how they had left things the last time they had met.

Ben and Nysilla had met in the Sith slave camp on Dromund Kaas and had instantly become friends. They had grown close, leaning on each other to make their two-month imprisonment slightly more bearable. One night, after a particularly gruesome day, they had shared their first kiss – Ben's first kiss ever, in fact. Every night since then, they had cuddled and slept on the same bench, comforting each other whenever they could, but their relationship had never progressed beyond that. To keep his Sith captors from discovering who he was, Ben had created a false identity. When his cover was eventually blown, Nysilla had furiously proclaimed that he had betrayed her. Even after he had gotten them all rescued, she had still been upset by his lie and told him that she could never trust him again.

Seeing Nysilla again brought up a mixture of emotions for Ben. Pleasure at the memory of their intimate moments, a little anger at her accusation of betrayal, guilt at having lied to her, and sadness at the memory of saying goodbye to the first girl he had shared a strong connection with. Above all, he felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of hope that perhaps they could be together again. Perhaps enough time had passed that Nysilla's emotional wounds had healed – not completely, but to the point that she could forgive him.

"So," he began, "you're back on Coruscant."

Nysilla nodded. "Yes, I live here now. Things didn't work out back home, so I left to find my fortune elsewhere."

Ben's heart swelled. If Nysilla lived on Coruscant, that would make it easier for them to have a relationship! He wanted to press her for more details, but he remembered that he needed to get to the hospital to watch over Jaina. "Listen, I need to be somewhere right now, but maybe we can catch up later. Do you want to get dinner tonight?" Nysilla appeared taken aback. Ben wondered if he had pushed too far, too soon. Thinking quickly, he amended, "Or not. I mean, we could exchange frequencies and talk over the comm. You know, if you want. But, if you don't want to give out your frequency, you don't have to. We could just…" He trailed off, unsure of where he was going with this. He wanted to slap himself for his stupidity.

The grin on Nysilla's face suggested that she found his awkwardness amusing. That only made him feel worse. He started to think of a dozen things he wished he had said instead of what had come out. Then, to his surprise, she said, "No, dinner sounds good. There's a restaurant near Obsidian Towers that I've been meaning to try. It's called, 'Tegralla's.'"

Holding back his excitement, he responded, "Yeah, that sounds great." He quickly calculated how long it would take him to return to the temple after his shift with Jaina, change his clothes, and then get to the restaurant. "How about I pick you up at about 1745?"

"Oh, you don't have to pick me up. I can just meet you there."

Ben frowned. It was common knowledge that one person is supposed to pick up the other when they go on a date. So, why did Nysilla not want him to pick her up? Maybe she did not consider this to be a date. If that were the case, then that would indicate that she was not interested in being Ben's girlfriend again. "Why not?" he asked. "It's no trouble."

"It's nice of you to offer, but I just prefer to drive myself. You know what I mean?"

It made sense, Ben supposed. He personally had no problem letting other people drive, but he knew that some people just did not trust others behind the controls. If Nysilla was more comfortable driving herself, then he would let her. "Yeah, okay. Um, should we exchange frequencies anyway, in case we have trouble meeting up?"

"Sure," Nysilla replied, "that's probably a good idea."

After they had exchanged comm frequencies, Ben said, "Great! Then, I'll see you later!"

"See you," replied Nysilla, before turning around and heading down the street.

Once she was out of sight, Ben allowed himself a small celebration. He silently shouted "Yes!" and pumped his fists before turning and striding off with a spring in his step.

* * *

Ben spent the air taxi ride planning the date in his head, wanting to make sure Nysilla would have a good enough time to want to go on another. That inevitably led to him imagining the possibilities that might arise from a successful date, and what they would be like. By the time he arrived at the hospital, he was in a very good mood. Out of consideration for the patients and their families, he managed to contain his enthusiasm, though barely.

When he arrived at Jaina's room and saw her lying in bed, his spirits dampened. She looked just as bad as when Ben had first seen her after the Battle of Gederon. She was still unconscious and unmoving, with machines of every type hooked up to her. Sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching a holodrama being projected at the opposite end of the room, was Han Solo.

Upon noticing Ben, he said, "About time you showed up."

Ben checked his chrono and replied indignantly, "I'm not even five minutes late!"

"Yeah, well, that's five minutes of me sitting here by myself when it could have been you."

"Well, sorry. I didn't realize you wanted to leave so badly."

"Who said I wanted to leave?" Han asked, his voice rising. "She's my daughter!"

Realizing how he had been misunderstood, Ben raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean… it just came out wrong."

Han began to calm down as he said, "I know, I know. I'm just…" He paused as he mustered his courage. "I'm scared, kid. Nothing's changed since she got here. The doctors say if there's no improvement in the next few days… I can't lose her. Not like…" He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"We're not going to lose her," Ben stated. "She's going to get better, I—What the…?" He had turned to the holoprojector to see what was on when he noticed a massive bouquet of colorful, exotic-looking flowers sitting in a vase on the table.

Han eyed the flowers and explained, "Lando stopped by earlier."

Ben slowly nodded his head in understanding. "Ah."

After taking one last long look at his daughter, Han said, "Well, see you later, Ben." He started to head out of the room when Ben called after him.

"Hey, Uncle Han? Could you give me some advice?"

Han stopped and turned around. "Sure, kid. What's going on?"

"Remember Nysilla?"

For a moment, Han frowned as he searched his memory for the name. Then he snapped his fingers and pointed at Ben. "She's the girl you met on Dromund Kaas, right?"

"Yeah. Well, I ran into her on my way here. Turns out, she lives on Coruscant now. And she agreed to go to dinner with me tonight."

For the first time since the Battle of Gederon, a smile broke out across Han's face. "Hey, that's great! Congrats, kid." He patted Ben on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Ben replied automatically. He was not looking for praise, however. "I really want to get back together with her, so I want this date to go well."

Still grinning broadly, Han sat down and rested an ankle on his other knee. "Well, you've come to the right man. I've had more than my fair share of woman friends." Ben winced as horrible visuals popped into his head. "Now, pay attention. Tell her she looks nice – but not _too_ nice, and don't say it too often, either. Cover the check – oh, and make sure you have enough credits before you get there. Otherwise, things could get ugly. If she talks about her friends, just smile and nod, or else she'll think you're more interested in _them_ than her."

Ben cut him off. "Thanks, but that's not what I'm worried about." He sat down in one of the other chairs. "The last time I saw her, she said she was upset that I lied to her about who I was, and that she could never trust me again. What if she still feels that way? How do I get her to trust me?"

Han nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you earn her trust the way you would any other woman. Just show her that she can depend on you. It'll take some time, but you'll win her over eventually."

Ben frowned. He was not expecting Han's advice to be so short and simple. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"So, as long as I don't lie to her anymore, she'll forgive me?"

"Oh, you can still lie. Just don't let her catch you lying. Or make it _obvious_ you're lying so she doesn't have to figure it out herself."

Ben laughed. "I'm pretty sure that's a bad idea."

Han shrugged with a devilish grin on his face. "Hey, I've lied to your aunt more times than I can count, but she knows every single one of them. That's how she's put up with me all these years."

* * *

The next four hours were uneventful. Jaina remained motionless the entire time, and her life support machines had not one hiccup in their annoyingly steady rhythms. It was deeply unsettling. Ben felt as though he were sitting with a corpse; he even doubted that Jaina would ever wake up. But Han and Leia believed that she would, so Ben did his best to share that sentiment. He occasionally sent feelings of love and comfort to her through the Force, as Leia had instructed, but he could not help but throw in some urgency from time to time. He figured Jaina would respond better if she believed that she was desperately needed to fight some Sith, shoot down some enemy fighters, or rescue someone in danger.

When Leia finally arrived with Allana to take over from him, Ben figured it would not hurt to get her advice in case Han's turned out to be bad. He told them both about running into Nysilla, to which Leia replied, "We know. Han already told us."

Of course he had. Because it was not his business. Still, Ben had been planning to tell the rest of his family anyway, although he would rather have been the first to tell them. He explained his concerns and asked Leia what she thought.

"Show her that she can trust you," she said. "It's not going to happen as quickly as you'd like, but it _will_ happen. You just need to be patient." It was, at its core, the same advice Han had given. The fact that both he and Leia agreed on it confirmed to Ben that it was good advice.

"Are you going to kiss her?" Allana asked in a playful tone. Ben was oddly discomforted to note that she had the exact same devilish grin on her face that Han had given him earlier.

To his surprise, Leia answered for him. "Not tonight. That would be moving too fast. Nysilla needs to feel comfortable around him again first."

Ben's heart sank. He had been eager to taste Nysilla's lips again after all this time. Did he really have to wait even longer for it? He knew the answer was yes. He wanted to win Nysilla over the right way. That meant not kissing her until she was ready for it.

He left the hospital and took an airtaxi back to the Jedi Temple to prepare for his date. Tegralla's was a casual restaurant, but Ben still wanted to make a good impression on Nysilla. So, he combed his hair, washed his face, applied fresh deodorant, and put on one of his nicest sets of civilian clothes. Once he had convinced himself that he looked as good as he ever would, he set off towards the temple hanger to requisition an airspeeder for the evening. He could have just ordered another taxi, but he figured he would not have made as good of an impression that way.

He was about halfway there when he ran into Ahsoka Tano. She looked him up and down, skeptically. "Is that what you're planning to wear to our session tonight?"

Ben mentally cursed. She had been referring to their scheduled weekly meeting to discuss his emotions regarding the events on Dromund Kaas. He had skipped so many sessions that he had forgotten that there was one later that evening. "I'm sorry, Master, but could we reschedule this one?"

Ahsoka sighed in frustration. "I know you don't think you need to talk to anyone, but you do. You've missed too many sessions already, and I'm not going to let you skip another one just so you can… do whatever you're planning to do."

Ben had not expected to get out of it that easily, so he explained, "Sorry, but this only just came up. I ran into Nysilla Zabeth today, and she agreed to go to dinner with me."

Ahsoka's frustration turned into surprise. "Nysilla's back?" she asked.

"Yeah, she lives on Coruscant now, and I thought it would be nice to catch up. But, if you really don't want to reschedule, I can call her and ask if we can go out some other time." As he said it, Ben knew that that was not a good idea. How was he supposed to show Nysilla that she could rely on him if he rescheduled their date at the last minute?

Thankfully, Ahsoka must have understood this, for she smiled and said, "No, this is a special occasion. We can meet tomorrow night instead."

Ben's face lit up in pleasant surprise at how quickly Ahsoka had given in. "Thanks! Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow!" He gave a quick, respectful bow before hurrying off towards the hanger. When he heard Ahsoka call after him, he shuffled to a stop. Perhaps he was not getting off so easily after all. With a scowl, he thought, _Why can't she let me—_

"Enjoy yourself!" she called.

 _Oh._ "I will, thanks!" He then started off again, filled with renewed confidence. Ahsoka had not been this nice to him in a long time. Perhaps they had turned a corner in their relationship. _I have a date with Nysilla and Master Tano's being nice to me. Maybe things are finally looking up!_

* * *

Ahsoka watched Ben leave, hope surging within her. From what little she had heard about Nysilla, Ahsoka could tell that she and Ben had been good for each other when they had been together on Dromund Kaas. In times of emotional hardship, having someone there to provide comfort was invaluable.

Ahsoka knew this from experience; after escaping from Order 66, she had joined Boba Fett as a bounty hunter. Whenever she remembered all that she had lost on that terrible day, Boba had always been there to make her feel secure. Whenever they had been intimate, it had made her happier than she could remember being.

 _If only it had lasted,_ she thought ruefully. But perhaps Ben and Nysilla would be able to successfully rekindle their own relationship. If they did, Ben would finally have someone he could relate to about Dromund Kaas. Since Nysilla had undergone the same traumatic experiences, she and Ben might be able to talk to each other about them and help each other resolve their feelings. It would be even more effective than if he opened up to Ahsoka about them.

 _This could solve all of our problems with Ben. Maybe things are finally looking up._

* * *

 **"Maybe things are finally looking up?" That's definitely a good sign... If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

The Jedi Order kept a fleet of airspeeders for Jedi to use when they were on Coruscant. They were meant to be used for official business only, but that rule was very laxly enforced. When Ben Skywalker asked for one of the nicer-looking speeders, the hangermaster did not ask any questions. He simply had Ben check out the speeder and then gave him the ignition fob. Within minutes, Ben was on his way to Tegralla's Restaurant.

He landed in the parking lot just a few minutes before he had agreed to meet Nysilla Zabeth. He found that she was already waiting for him at the front door. He took a moment to take in her appearance. Like him, she had decided to dress slightly upscale casual, wearing a simple, loose-fitting dark green midi-dress with brown boots. Ben could not help but be slightly disappointed. He had been picturing her wearing something that showed more skin or hugged her curves more tightly.

But it did not really matter what she wore; her face was what really captured Ben's heart. He was not sure what it was exactly that he found so appealing. Was it her symmetrical face? Her smooth skin? Her silky hair? Her green eyes? All of them at once? All Ben knew was that her beauty was one hundred percent natural. She had not had the luxury of makeup, skin care, or hair care products on Dromund Kaas, and it was in the absence of these that Ben had fallen in love with her.

"You look nice," Ben said. Nice – too short a word that did not adequately describe what he really thought. But Han Solo had told him to say "nice," so that is what he did.

Nysilla smiled, which seemed to double her beauty. "So do you." Without another word, she headed into the restaurant, starting slowly so that Ben had time to come up beside her and then speeding up to match his pace.

From the outside, Tegralla's looked like a gray, metal container with a flat, overhanging lid, rounded edges, and large windows. It was not unlike many of the other buildings in that part of Coruscant. What made it stand out were the long tube lights situated vertically between each window and horizontally along the roof, bathing the building in a gentle green glow.

As Ben and Nysilla walked through the sliding transparisteel doors, they looked around the dining room. Like the exterior, the interior was predominantly gray metal, except the surfaces had a chrome finish that was halfway between dull and reflective. Also, the chairs and booths had green upholstery and the room's lighting was softened by yellow bowl lamp shades. The dining room was at about three-quarters capacity, with some diners eating alone, some with a spouse or significant other, and some with their families.

A humanoid waiter droid with a single wheel instead of feet rolled quickly up to greet Ben and Nysilla. In a synthesized female voice, it said, "Welcome to Tegralla's. Thank you for joining us on this fine evening." It scanned them both with its photoreceptors and asked, "Table for two?" Ben barely nodded before the droid said, "Follow me, please," and rolled away. They followed it to a small table with two chairs facing each other from opposite sides. Once they had sat down, the droid handed each of them a datapad containing the menu and began to describe the evening's specials in colorful detail. Finally, it asked, "May I start you off with some beverages?"

Nysilla asked for an iced tea. Ben thought of ordering a carbonated juice but decided that he might make a better impression if he ordered something healthier. Except he did not like tea, so he ordered water instead. It then occurred to him that water was too bland, and that he should have asked for something more interesting, lest Nysilla think he was also bland. But the droid had already rolled off through the door to the kitchen, so it was too late to change his mind.

For the next minute, they quietly browsed their menus. For Ben, the silence was uncomfortable. He was eager to have his first actual conversation with Nysilla in almost a year. He read the menu quickly, determined to decide before she did so that they could begin talking sooner.

The droid returned, set their drinks down in front of them, and asked, "Are you both ready to order?"

"I think I am," answered Nysilla. To Ben, she asked, "Are you?"

"Yeah," he replied quickly. In truth, he was still debating between two dishes, but he did not want to waste any more time. He decided to order the dish that he had just been looking at.

"A very fine choice," the droid commented primly. "And you, ma'am?" After Nysilla had finished conveying her order, the droid took their menu datapads and said, "I shall return with your meal momentarily." It then rolled off once more to the kitchen, finally leaving the young couple free to speak to each other.

"So," Ben began, "How long have you been on Coruscant?" He adopted a casual smile – at least, he _hoped_ it looked casual – to let Nysilla know that he was interested in whatever she had to say.

"Just a few months," answered Nysilla. "I got a job as a receptionist at Obsidian Towers."

Ben let out an impressed whistle. Obsidian Towers was one of the best hotels on Coruscant. Ben had never been there himself, but he had heard great things about it. "Nice."

" _Very_ nice," Nysilla agreed. "It has good benefits, too. I'm allowed to use some of the amenities on my days off, which has been great. My favorite thing is swimming in the pool." An image came into Ben's mind unbidden, but not unwelcome, of Nysilla in a two-piece swimsuit, gliding gracefully through the water in slow motion. He quickly expunged it from his head, lest she notice the far-off expression on his face and suspect what he was daydreaming about. She continued, "I'm not planning on it being a permanent thing, though. It's just until I save up enough money to go to nursing school."

"You want to be a nurse?" Ben asked, his smile widening. He was surprised by how ambitious her plans were, but also not surprised that she wanted to do good with her life. She had been so kind and gentle on Dromund Kaas that Ben could easily picture her taking care of other people for a living.

Nsyilla's smile widened with Ben's. "Yes, ever since I was a little girl. I was actually planning to enroll last year, but…" She trailed off, letting the obvious remain unspoken. The Sith had kidnapped her and killed her parents.

Ben was curious about what she had been doing since being liberated from Dromund Kaas. When last they met, she had told him that she planned to return to her home on Felucia. Had she done that? What had she found there? How did she get by without her parents? But he did not want to ask her any of these questions – not yet, at least. He imagined that they would remind her of Dromund Kaas, which would be too painful for her. Instead, he asked her if she had any good stories from working at the hotel.

Nysilla then proceeded to tell a funny story about a group of aliens who did not understand Basic, and the hotel manager's multiple futile attempts to convey to them that the pool was not clothing-optional. About halfway through the story, the waiter droid returned with their food, so they began to eat. Nysilla continued to tell the story in between bites, but doing so allowed Ben to eat more quickly than her. When she was finished with her story, she asked Ben to talk about what he had been up to lately, allowing her to catch up on her meal.

"Not much, actually," Ben answered. "My dad won't let me fight in the war, so I've just been policing Coruscant, hanging around the temple, watching my cousin in the hospital, going to—"

"You're cousin's in the hospital?" Nysilla interrupted. "Is she okay?"

Ben was caught off-guard. Nearly everyone he interacted with knew about Jaina Solo's condition; he had forgotten that Nysilla did not. He explained, "There was a battle at Gederon recently, and Jaina's starfighter was destroyed. She survived, by some miracle, but she's been in a coma ever since. The doctors don't know if she's going to wake up."

"I'm so sorry," gasped Nysilla, a horrified expression on her face. "I hope she gets well soon."

"Thanks." Ben tried his best to make it sound sincere. He was getting tired of people constantly wishing Jaina well.

"I guess you're lucky you don't have to fight in those terrible battles." She looked down at her plate and continued to eat.

"Lucky?" Ben repeated incredulously. "I'd love to get out there and fight. But my dad and Master Tano don't want me anywhere near the Sith. They think I'm going to turn to the dark side."

Nysilla paused and gave Ben an apprehensive look. "Why do they think that?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm too eager to kill the Sith. But, I mean, why shouldn't I be? After everything they've done, don't they need to be killed?"

Nysilla's eyes widened slightly. "'Kill' is a strong word, Ben."

"Yeah, but it's the only way to deal with them. If we don't kill them, they're going to keep killing innocent people."

After a moment, she nodded thoughtfully. "I guess." She took another bite before asking, "But why do _you_ need to fight? Why not let the other Jedi do it? Haven't you done enough already? I mean, you got a lot of people saved on Dromund Kaas."

"But there are a whole bunch of other people I _didn't_ save." By the time Ben said this, he remembered that Nysilla's mother, Mari Zabeth, was among the slaves he did not save. He had just spoken about the very thing he wanted to avoid out of respect for Nysilla's feelings. But it was too late to back down now. He figured he might as well roll with it. "That's why I _need_ to fight. If I don't kill the Sith, then all those people died for nothing."

Nysilla slowly put her fork down on the table. "So, you want to fight just because you want revenge?"

The way she asked that question gave Ben pause. "Wait. _You_ think I'm turning to the dark side, too?"

A brief silence followed. "I'm just worried that you're too angry, too eager to fight. What if you throw yourself into a battle and end up making a mistake? You could get hurt, like your cousin."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. I get that people don't want me to get hurt, and I'm glad they care, but they shouldn't be telling me I can't take risks if I want to. After all, it's _my_ life to risk."

"That's right, it is. But if you do get hurt, or worse, think about what your family will have to go through. Do you really want that for them? Are you really willing to risk _that_?"

That made Ben think for a moment. He thought about when he had been presumed dead after crash-landing on Dromund Kaas. At various points over the past year, people had told him how everyone had reacted to the news. He supposed that it would not be fair to make them go through that again. He thought about Jaina, and how distraught his family had been when they thought she had died on Gederon. He also thought about how they were coping with her being in a coma, unsure if she would ever wake up. More specifically, he thought about how _he_ was handling her situation. He could not remember feeling so helpless, so defeated, so angry. Of course, it was wrong of him to feel the latter, but he could not help it.

Responding to Nysilla's question, he said, "Of course not. And, to be honest, I guess I don't _really_ want to fight. But I just feel so useless right now. Especially with what's going on with Jaina. It seems like I'm about the only person I know who's not risking their life in this war."

"Have you said that to your dad?"

"Yes!" Ben exclaimed. And then he paused, considering. "I think so. Not in those exact words. I guess maybe I'll try that, see if he'll finally change his mind."

"Or maybe he'll change _your_ mind," Nysilla suggested.

Ben shook his head. "I doubt it."

For a minute, neither said anything after that. They simply continued eating as they absorbed the conversation they had just had. Ben considered both what he had inadvertently confessed and what Nysilla had said to him. She had said that he wanted revenge against the Sith. Perhaps she was right; he had, after all, said something along those lines right before that. And it was true that revenge was not the Jedi way. Neither was anger. But he adamantly refused to believe that he was on the path to the dark side, as Luke Skywalker did. He would not follow in Jacen Solo's footsteps.

Nysilla was right about another thing; maybe Ben was better off away from battle. On the other hand, so was everyone else. But that did not stop them from going into battle because it was their duty, as well as Ben's. He still believed that he should be fighting alongside everyone else, but at least now he had a better understanding of why Luke wanted to keep him safe. In that spirit, perhaps he owed it to his father to make more of an effort in trying to resolve his negative emotions.

Ben decided then that, when he met with Ahsoka Tano the following night – and he _would_ show up, this time – he would cooperate with her fully.

"Might I interest you in some dessert?"

Ben's heart nearly leapt out of his chest as the voice of the waiter droid unexpectedly spoke. He had not even noticed it approach the table! After he had recovered from the shock, he asked Nysilla, "Do you want to get dessert? I hear they have a famous jogun pie."

She shook her head in response. "No, thank you."

To the droid, he said, "We'd like the check now, please." In truth, he had been looking forward to the pie, but it would have been rude to eat it while Nysilla ate nothing. The droid tapped a few icons on a datapad and held it out over the table. Ben grabbed it before Nysilla could even think about paying for the meal. He quickly looked over the check to make sure everything was correct and then touched his credcard to the reader on the pad.

Once the transaction had been completed, the waiter droid retrieved the datapad and said, "Thank you for dining at Tegralla's. We hope you come back soon." It then rolled away for the last time.

It only took Ben and Nysilla a few more minutes to finish their meals, at which point the night was over. Ben knew that the time had come to see if the date had gone well. "So, this was fun."

To his pleasure, Nysilla smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, it was."

That was a good sign. "We should do it again sometime." Her smile faded, and Ben felt the blood begin to drain from his face. That was _not_ a good sign.

"Look, Ben, I'm glad we did this. Really, I am. But I'm not looking to be in a relationship right now."

Ben's heart sank in disappointment. But at least there was still a glimmer of hope. She had not said that she did not want to be in a relationship _with him_. She had only said that she was not looking for a relationship _at that time._ "That's okay," he said. "We can just hang out as friends and, when you're ready, we can talk about a relationship."

Her mouth hung open in surprise and she shifted uncomfortably. "Let me rephrase that. I'm sorry Ben, but I don't want to be in a relationship… with you."

Ben stared at her in open-mouthed disbelief. "Why not?"

Nysilla shook her head. "I just don't think we'd go well together."

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked, his anger rising. "We were together on Dromund Kaas!"

"That was different. We were both in a bad situation and we naturally gravitated towards each other to get through it. There wasn't anything real between us."

"Oh, that's a load of banthash—" Ben cut himself off when he noticed other nearby restaurant patrons were beginning to stare. He lowered his voice and continued, "The first night we kissed – right before that, when we touched, there was a spark between us. I know you felt it; I saw it on your face!"

"I don't know what you saw," Nysilla replied irritably, "but there was no spark. We just gave into our need for human contact."

"What, every night? Just admit it; you still don't trust me because I lied about who I was!" His voice was rising again, but he did not care what the other patrons thought.

"Of course, I don't! I get why you lied, but that doesn't mean it was right! I can't be in a relationship if I constantly have to wonder if I'm being lied to!"

"Then give me a chance to prove you can trust me!"

"I _can't_ trust you, Ben. I _know_ you're going to lie to me again." Ben began to protest, but Nysilla would not let him get a word in. "You won't want to, but you'll have to in order to do your Jedi job. And I'm not okay with that."

Ben found he had no response to that. He was struck dumb by her last statement and the realization of what it translated to. She did not want to be with him _because he was a Jedi._

"The answer's 'no', Ben," Nysilla stated definitively. And before he could reply with a comeback, she stood up and marched out of the restaurant.

Ben continued to sit alone at the table, trying to contemplate what had just happened. He had not been there for three seconds before the waiter droid returned and intoned, "Sir, I am afraid I must ask you to—"

"Just shut up!" Ben growled. He stood up and stormed off, leaving the perplexed droid behind.

* * *

 **You think Ben has it rough now; just wait until the next chapter, which will be posted early next month! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in your reviews or private messages.**

 **And, if you haven't already, check out the May 4, 2020 update on my profile page for a special announcement!**


End file.
